Shakespeare and Duel Monsters Don't Mix
by Willowsnake
Summary: Kaiba has planned a new summer Duel Monsters Tournament, but with unforeseen complications. An English class production of Shakespeare, personal drama, and many new houseguests—not to mention a bit of romance—are just the icing of this multifaceted cake. BEING REWRITTEN! NEW CONTENT!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Summary: **Kaiba has planned a new summer Duel Monsters Tournament, but with unforeseen complications. An English class production of Shakespeare, personal drama, and many new houseguests—not to mention a bit of romance—are just the icing of this multifaceted cake.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_**Video from Kaiba Corp.**_

_Play_

Seto Kaiba's face appeared on the television screen.

"_Attention, Duelist. You have been selected as one of the select few to compete in my Duel Monsters Charity Festival. This month-long festival will consist of several events. All proceeds will then be donated to the city of Domino. _

"_More importantly, you are one of twenty-six duelists I have personally selected as worthy to compete. But be warned. This is not just any normal Duel Monsters Tournament. I have a few rules and regulations you must abide by._

"_One, you will not be allowed to use your own personal deck. My database will selectively choose a deck for you to use during the tournament. No changes, additions, or exchanges may be made to your assigned deck. I will also abide by this rule. In doing so, we shall see if you truly have the skills required to be worthy of the title 'duelist.'_

"_Two, your opponent will be selected randomly by my database. _

"_Three, my Duel Monsters Charity Festival begins in one month. Be there if you have the ambition to accept this challenge._ _All those who fail to comply with these three simple rules will be eliminated immediately. It's so simple, even a mutt can do it."_

Kaiba smirked after this statement and then the screen went blank.

"Bastard," Joey said, staring at the screen. "Well, at least I was invited this time."

Joey got up from the couch and headed toward his room. "It's just like Moneybags to call me a mutt," he mumbled as he changed into his pajamas and got into bed. "Why do I have to like _him_,anyway?"

He yawned and crawled under the covers. "And I'm not a mutt." Joey slowly drifted off to sleep, glad that it was the weekend and he wouldn't have to face his crush, Seto Kaiba, until Monday at school.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 2**

_**Monday Morning**_

"Great, I'm gonna be late!" exclaimed Joey as he ran down the crowded halls of Domino High. Students were trying to get into class before the bell rang, leaving the blond to duck and dodge in the hall in order to get to class. Turning a corner, Joey bumped into something hard, causing him to fall backward onto the floor.

"Ow," he groaned, rubbing his elbow.

"Watch where you're going, Mutt."

Joey looked up and glared when he realized who said those words.

"Kaiba, I was watchin' where I was goin'! And I'm not a dog! What're ya standin' in the middle of the hallway for, anyway?" demanded the blond.

Kaiba just stared at him. "Whatever," he said as he opened the door to their classroom, closing it behind him.

Joey picked himself up off the floor and gathered up his things. As soon as he turned the doorknob and opened the door, the final bell rang.

_Shit_, Joey thought to himself.

"You're late," chided his teacher, Mrs. Yumi.

"Yeah. I'm sor-"

"Just get in your seat. We have a lot to do today."

Joey sighed and headed toward his seat which was located in the back of the classroom. Thankfully, he sat next to Tristan, so class wasn't too bad. Even though it was English. Another plus was that he could watch Kaiba from where he sat.

"Hey, man, what's up?" asked Tristan, looking concerned.

Joey narrowed his eyes. "Kaiba," he ground out.

"Heh. Always Kaiba. Man, you should just avoid the guy," replied Tristan.

Joey just rolled his eyes.

"All right, class. Let's get started, shall we?" began Mrs. Yumi. "As many of you may have already heard, there will be a Duel Monsters Charity Festival occurring in one month. Many events will be going on during this month-long festival in hopes to raise money for those in need of financial assistance in Domino. Being a part of Domino, our high school will be taking part in the festival. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

The students just stared at her blankly. They couldn't figure out what was so wonderful about it; she hadn't even told them what they were supposed to be doing yet. And the month-long event cut into their summer vacation, so of course they weren't too thrilled.

"Our class has been selected as the lucky group to participate in the Duel Monsters Charity Festival. And the faculty selected _me_ as the one to decide what we are going to do!" she exclaimed. You could just see the pride radiating off of her, much to the dismay of her students.

"So what did you decide?" questioned one student.

"Oh! That's right! I haven't told you yet. Haha! Silly me," she giggled. Clearing her throat, Mrs. Yumi said, "Since this is an English class, I've decided that we will perform a piece of literature. A play! A Shakespearian play!"

The entire class groaned. Not Shakespeare. Who knew what this 'happily medicated' woman would choose.

"And all of you will be expected to participate in this play in some form or another. Whether you want to be one of the actors or actresses, or help build the set, it's entirely up to me," she said, smiling sweetly.

"Wait, what? We don't get to choose what we wanna do?" asked Joey, suddenly paying attention because of her last statement.

"Yes. I get to choose. If you don't like it, tough. You'll fail if you don't do as I say. And you can't do anything about because I have tenure. SO DEAL WITH IT!"

Everyone shrank back into their seats, trying to make themselves look as small as possible, except Kaiba, of course. He was too busy typing away on his laptop.

"Now, where was I?" she said, smiling sweetly again. This teacher was literally scaring the crap out of everyone. She had more mood swings than all the girls in their school combined.

Tea tentatively raised her hand.

"Yes?" asked Mrs. Yumi.

"Um…what play are we doing?"

"Oh! That's a great question," she replied.

The class waited.

And waited.

"We are going to put on the play _All's Well That Ends Well_ by William Shakespeare. It's a comedy. And do you know what the best part is?" she asked the class. "I've assigned everyone a role already. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

Mrs. Yumi was really starting to tick these students off.

"Now, _All's Well That Ends Well_ is mostly about a young woman named Helena, who is the orphaned daughter of a celebrated physician named Gerard de Narbon. Helena is in love with Bertram, the Countess' son, but she loses hope of ever winning his affection because of the immense difference in their social rank. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

The class didn't respond, which in turn ticked Mrs. Yumi off.

She glared evilly at the class. "Fine! Be that way! As long as I can see you suffer when I provide you with your roles!" she declared, laughing hysterically.

Now the class was _really_ scared.

After her diabolical laughing spell, Mrs. Yumi grabbed her clipboard and started calling out names.

"Tea! You will be playing Mariana. She is a young Florentine girl who is solicited by Parolles. She warns Diana against the visiting Frenchman and tells her to beware of their false promises and oaths. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

"Okay," said Tea. _Well, that's not too bad_, she thought.

"Ryou! You will be playing Diana. She is the daughter of the widow of Florence with whom Helena lodges. She is named after the virgin goddess of hunting and the moon. She is a spunky young woman so annoyed by Bertram's behavior toward his wife that she willingly helps Helena trick him and vows never to marry. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

"Umm…all right then," gulped Ryou. _Why do I have to play a woman? _he thought. _Bakura will never let me live this down._

"Tristan! You will be playing the Duke of Florence. He is a duke who is involved in the Florentine wars. He welcomes the French Lords who offer him their help. He appoints Bertram as general of his army and provides him with letters of commendation for his bravery in the war. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

"Sure!" Tristan said, scratching the back of his head. _Thank goodness I'm not playing a woman_, he thought.

"Malik! You will be playing the Widow. She is an old woman of Florence with whom Helena lodges. She accepts a large sum of money to help Helena trick Bertram. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

"….you will pay for this, woman," Malik said. _She will pay dearly. Mwahahaha_, he thought.

"Right. Bakura! You will be playing Lavache. He is a clown who was formerly employed by Bertram's late father. He is now a dependent of the Countess. He is a sometimes sarcastic, sometimes melancholy court-jester. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

"A clown? You expect me to be a _clown_?" Bakura screamed, leaping up from his seat, breathing heavily with his jaw hanging open. _I'm too sexy to be some damn clown! If only I had my Shadow Powers_, thought Bakura.

"Duke! You will be playing Parolles, a follower of Bertram. He is Bertram's confidant and flatterer. He is a mercenary soldier, a braggart, and a liar. He is disliked by the other characters who seek to expose his true nature. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

"Hahaha! That sounds just like you, Duke," said Tristan, making the whole class laugh.

"Shut up, cone head!" Duke exclaimed.

"Ouch! Stop shooting dice at me!" yelled Tristan.

"ENOUGH!" roared Mrs. Yumi. The class fell into a deafening silence.

"Now, then. Let's see. Marik! You will be playing Lafeu, an old lord. He is a wise old lord who is the confidant of the King of France and the Countess of Rousillon. He cautions Bertram to be careful of Parolles. He displays fatherly feelings towards both Bertram and Helena. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

"Yes! For I am wise!" proclaimed Marik. _I shall use my wisdom to conquer the world_, he thought. Everyone just stared at him blankly.

"Yugi! You will be playing the Countess of Rousillon. She is Bertram's mother and Helena's guardian. She is a powerful woman who is sometimes ashamed of her immature and often dishonorable son. She thinks lovingly of Helena. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

"Yes?" Yugi replied timidly. _Why me?_

"Yami! You will be playing the King of France. He is the ailing King who is suffering from painful, incurable ulcerous sores." Yami paled with every word. "He is physically weak until he is cured by Helena's potion. In return, he tells Helena to select any lord she likes as a husband and says that he will force him to marry her. As King, he has absolute reign over his subjects and does not take kindly to disobedience. He is a strong believer in personal virtue's superiority to inherited rank. Doesn't that sound wonderful?" implored Mrs. Yumi.

"Indeed, it does," replied Yami. _At least I'm a ruler, although a sickly one_, he thought.

"Now we are at our two most important roles. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

The class just groaned, again, in response. Mrs. Yumi had to be the most irritating teacher on the planet. What was she on today?

"Bertram is the young Count of Rousillon, whose father has also recently passed away. Bertram is forced to marry Helena on the insistence of the King. He dreams of great military honors and values his high social rank as extremely important. He is young and very hotheaded. Bertram will be played by our very own Seto Kaiba. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

That got Kaiba's attention. His fingers faltered on the keys of his laptop.

"No, that does not sound wonderful! I will not partake in this stupid play!" exclaimed the furious brunet.

"Yes, you will! You must do your part for the Duel Monsters Charity Festival," said Mrs. Yumi.

"My part? I'm the one who created and is hosting the damn festival! How would I not be doing my part?" he replied harshly.

"You will fail if you do not participate in this play, hosting the festival be damned," she stated menacingly.

"You can't fail me!"

"Of course I can. I have tenure!" she said, smiling sweetly again.

Kaiba glared, his eyes seemingly boring holes into her very being. But she just wouldn't die. _Bitch_.

"Now that that's settled, we'll move onto our final role. Helena is the heroine and orphaned daughter of the famous physician, Gerard de Narbon. She loves Bertram and is determined to marry him in spite of the vast difference in their social rank. She will be played by none other than Joey Wheeler! Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

Joey looked aghast. He had to play Helena? The woman of the play who was in love with Bertram? Played by Kaiba? His crush?

Joey did the only thing anyone would do upon hearing this information.

"I'm in love with Kaiba?" he yelled, jumping out of his seat. Everyone stared at Joey, gawking at his outburst. _Boy, did that come out wrong_, he thought, a light blush playing on his cheeks. Joey slowly sank back into his seat, embarrassed by his outburst. _Why did I have to say that of all things?_ he thought.

"Dude, what was that all about?" whispered Tristan.

"Nothin'," replied Joey, hoping to look invisible in his seat.

"Well, now that I have everyone's attention thanks to Mr. Wheeler, I will pass out the scripts for the play. I will also send out a sign-up sheet for some of the minor roles in the play. These characters make one or two small appearances. It's nothing to worry about," said Mrs. Yumi. She started to pass out the scripts.

After making sure everyone received a copy, Mrs. Yumi began talking again. "I suggest you read through the script and highlight your parts if you need to. If you have a role, that is. If you don't have a part in the play, come see me so that I can tell you what you need to do. The rest of you get in a group and start working on your lines. Rehearsal starts after school next Monday."

The students who didn't have roles walked up to Mrs. Yumi while the rest got together in a small circle on the far side of the classroom. No one looked very happy, especially Kaiba. The anger that radiated off his body was utterly terrifying.

"So, um, should we get started, guys?" questioned Yugi. He really didn't want Mrs. Yumi to come over and yell at them.

"Sure, why not?" said Duke sarcastically as he started flipping through the script to find his part. When he did, his eyes widened comically.

"I have to talk about virginity!" he exclaimed.

"What? Where?" asked Bakura. That got his attention.

"It's in _Act I, Scene I_. I have a conversation with Helena," Duke started, glancing at Joey, "about virginity."

"Are you serious?" screeched the blond. "There is no way in hell I'm gonna do that, especially with Duke."

Everyone stared at Joey. Nothing he said seemed to come out right today.

"Get over it, Mutt. It's not like you'll be any good at this sort of thing anyway. Acting is completely out of your range of dog tricks. Stick to begging and rolling over," said Kaiba, finally over his temper trip.

"Shut up, Kaiba! I can act!" replied Joey.

"Yeah. Like a mutt. Oh, wait. You're not acting. You really are a mutt."

"That's it!" cried Joey, getting out of his seat and heading toward Kaiba with a look on his face that said he was about ready to kill someone.

"Aw, is the dog going to bark at me?" mocked Kaiba.

"I am not a dog!" Joey growled, reaching the brunet's desk.

"Growling at me won't make me think any differently," said Kaiba, smirking.

Joey lunged. But before he could lay a hand on Kaiba, Duke and Tristan grabbed him and pulled him back.

"Joey, do you want to get us in trouble? Mrs. Yumi is already going nuts on us. You wanna make it worse?" said Tristan.

"Yeah, Joey. Just stop it," added Duke.

The blond sighed in defeat. "Fine," he growled again. He went back to his seat and sat down, crossed his arms, and glared at Kaiba.

"So…Kaiba, what's the whole Duel Monsters Charity Festival about? I got your video," said Yugi, trying to lighten the dark mood.

"Yeah, Kaiba. What gives? I got a video, too," replied Duke. "What about you, Joey?"

"…yeah…I got one, too…" Joey said quietly.

"That's surprising," laughed Duke.

Joey glared and Kaiba just stared.

"Mokuba and I decided that we wanted to start a festival that would raise money for those in need, especially during this economic crisis," he said.

"Well, that was very thoughtful of you," said Tea.

"Hn," Kaiba replied, crossing his arms and looking off to the side.

* * *

_**Joey's POV**_

Why does he have to act like that? Why does he act all cold-hearted and shit? He's doin' somethin' nice for people and he acts like a total jerk. It was probably all Mokuba's idea, anyway.

And why do we have to do this stupid play? As soon as we get out for summer vacation, we have to perform some stupid play. Well, at least I'll get to duel, too. But I have to play a girl! And my character has to win the affections of Kaiba! Great. Just great.

Wait a second…

Do I have to kiss Kaiba in the play?

* * *

_**Normal POV**_

Joey grabbed his script and aggressively started flipping through the pages, looking for anything that said 'Helena,' 'Bertram,' or 'kiss.'

Everyone looked at Joey as he flew through the script in record time.

"Wow. It looks like Joey's taking this pretty seriously," commented Yugi.

"It seems so, Yugi," replied Yami, a knowing look on his face. "It seems so."

* * *

**End Chapter**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_**Turtle Game Shop (After School)**_

"So, what do you all think of this play?" asked Ryou.

"It seems like it'll be fun, especially since I get to talk dirty with Miss Helena over here," said Duke, putting his arm around Joey's waist.

The blond pushed him away. "Get off me, ya jerk. And it's not talkin' dirty."

Duke sighed. "Whatever you say. I still think it's gonna be funny. But I can't decide which will be funnier. You talking about virginity or you in a dress," he snickered.

"Will ya just shut up already?" yelled Joey.

"That's enough, everyone," interrupted Solomon as he came into the room. "Let's all settle down and talk about something important. Like this Duel Monsters Charity Festival," he said, beaming.

"Sure!" replied Yugi. "Okay, who was sent an invitation?"

"We were," said Ryou, indicating him and Bakura.

"Us, too," replied Malik and Marik.

"Okay. And Duke and Joey got one, as well as me and Yami," said Yugi.

"Don't forget about me!" shouted Solomon.

"You got one, too, Grandpa?" asked a bewildered Yugi.

"I sure did. And let me tell you. I'll kick all your butts in this tournament."

Everyone laughed at his attempt at a threat.

"And we know that Kaiba will be in it. So that's…ten people out of twenty-six. I wonder who the rest are?" pondered Duke.

"I don't know, but I can't wait to find out," said Yugi. "Is something wrong, Joey? You've been awfully quiet." Yugi looked at the blond in concern.

Joey shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "Why did he invite me? I would have thought that he wouldn't want me anywhere near his tournament."

"Maybe he finally knows that you're a worthy duelist," said Yami.

"Or maybe he _likes _you," added Bakura, laughing maniacally.

"Hahaha. As if," said Duke.

Joey had a light blush on his face. "Ya guys, I have to go home now. It's gettin' late." The blond turned and walked out of the shop.

"Was it something I said?" asked Bakura.

* * *

_**Joey's POV**_

When ya think about it, Kaiba and I are just like Bertram and Helena. He's in the upper class and I'm the lowest of the low. I think I might…love him? I don't know. But I would do anythin' to win his love. Or at least get him to notice me for me. The _real_ me, anyway.

I'm so tired of playin' the fool. Especially in front of my friends. Would they like me if I told them that I'm-

No. I can't do that. I just have to keep playin' the fool…no matter how much I hate it.

* * *

_**Normal POV**_

Joey looked up at the sky. _Great. It's startin' to rain. I better hurry up and get home._

Picking up his pace, the blond ran the last few blocks to the apartment he shared with his father. Pulling out his keys, he unlocked the door, stepped inside, and kicked off his shoes.

"I'm home," announced Joey, cautiously making his way into the living room.

"'Bout time," came a slurred voice from the couch.

_This just isn't my day. He's drunk already_, Joey thought to himself.

"Where ya been, boy?"

"I stopped by the Game Shop with my friends, sir," answered Joey, looking down at the ground. He heard his father get up off the couch and walk toward him. Joey glanced warily at his father. Who wouldn't? The man was huge, ex-military, and reeked of alcohol.

"I thought I told ya never to go there 'gain," he said.

"I'm sorry, sir. I forgot," replied Joey. A punch hit him square in the stomach. The blond hunched over, only to be knocked onto the floor by a kick to his gut.

"Get up. And make me some dinner, but none for ya tonight."

"Yes, sir," wheezed Joey, slowly picking himself up off the floor and heading toward the kitchen. The blond rested his hands on the edge of the kitchen counter. _I just have to keep playin' the fool,_ he thought as he started making dinner, clutching his stomach every now and then in pain.

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion **_

"What are you doing, Seto?" asked Mokuba as he stepped into his brother's room. Kaiba was sitting on his bed, tapping away on his laptop. What else would he be doing?

"Work," he replied.

"Seto, all you do is work. What are you working on, anyway?"

"I'm fixing the glitches in the computer database that will select the decks and opponents for the tournament."

"Oh. Okay. Big brother?"

"No."

"But I didn't even ask you anything yet!"

"The answer is still no."

"Come on. Can't you just hear me out first?"

Kaiba stopped typing and looked at his brother. That was a big mistake. Mokuba pulled the puppy-eyes on him. He gradually gave in.

"What do you want, Mokuba?"

"Since our Duel Monsters Charity Festival is coming up in a month and all the duelists you've invited are coming in from all over the world, I think that they should stay here. It'll make things a lot easier for your tournament," Mokuba rambled.

"…you're joking, right?" Kaiba deadpanned.

"Not at all. We have plenty of room, enough food to feed all those duelists, and we could provide them with transportation to the event."

"And I would do this because?"

"Just think of it as an addition to you being _charitable_ for this event. And besides, Joey will be here," he hinted with a wink.

Kaiba fought back a blush. "I don't care if the Mutt is here."

"Are you sure, Seto? Your diary says differently," responded Mokuba, showing his big brother a leather-bound book.

"Where did you get that?" exclaimed Kaiba, jumping off his bed and charging after his brother, who took off down the hall.

"I'm not giving it to you!"

"Yes, you will!"

* * *

_**Two hours later**_

An exhausted Kaiba collapsed on the couch in the living room. He glared at his little brother, who still held onto the diary.

"Give…it…back…now," panted Kaiba.

"Only if you agree to let all the duelists stay at the mansion," bartered Mokuba.

He hesitated. "Fine."

"You promise?"

"Yes…I promise. You have my word."

"Good. Here you go," said Mokuba as he handed over the diary.

Kaiba grabbed it eagerly, flipping it open to see if any damage had been done to the contents. Boy, was he in for a surprise.

"It's blank! This isn't my diary!" exclaimed Kaiba.

"I know," replied Mokuba, "But now I know that you _do_ have a diary and that _that_ diary has some _content_ in it about Joey. And you can't back out on your word! It's not my fault you assumed this was your diary. I guess you better get started on those invitations to the mansion now, huh, Seto?"

"Brat," mumbled Kaiba as he watched his brother leave the living room. "And you get no dessert for a week!"

A week without dessert was a small price to pay for getting twenty-six duelists all in one place in Mokuba's mind. But, then again, he could always eat some of the pixie stix he had hidden under his mattress.

* * *

It was hard for everyone to believe how quickly one month could pass. Within that time, the students of Domino High had rehearsed their play, designed their costumes, and created their sets. They were ready to go. They'd rehearsed over and over until they could recite their lines in their sleep.

Today, all of their equipment was being shipped and set up at Domino Theatre. In a few days, they would be performing William Shakespeare's _All's Well That Ends Well_. Some of them would even be dueling in the tournament at the festival.

The twenty-six duelists who were going to compete even received an invitation to stay at the Kaiba Mansion for the duration of the Duel Monsters Charity Festival.

Tomorrow, which was the first day of summer vacation, was moving day into said mansion. But there was one person who wasn't very sure about that. And that person's name was Joey Wheeler.

Joey was sitting on his bed with a duffel bag full of everything he owned—which wasn't much—in his lap. He looked guardedly at his door. How was he going to tell his father that he'd be away for an entire month? The blond knew his father wouldn't respond well to the idea at all, but the question was, how far would his father go to let _him_ know that?

Standing up, Joey lifted his duffel bag and dropped it outside his window. It landed with a thud in the dumpster in the alley down below. He'd fetch it later after he got away from the apartment. _If_ he could get away.

Now, all he had to do was talk to his father.

Joey opened the door, stepped out of his room, and anxiously searched for his father. He was sitting on the couch, taking swigs from his beer bottle and watching television.

He approached his father cautiously. "Dad?" he questioned softly.

His father snapped his head toward his son, angry that he was interrupting his show.

"What?" he growled, narrowing his glazed eyes.

"Um…I'm gonna be away for awhile. I have to attend the Duel Monsters Charity Festival. If I don't, I'll fail English," Joey said timidly.

"Fail? I don't care if ya fail. Ya ain't goin' nowhere," he said, standing up. He faced Joey and the blond averted his eyes.

"But…it's important that I be there. Everyone will wonder where I am if I don't show up," he said, glancing back up at his father.

"Are ya gettin' smart with me?"

Joey's eyes widened. "Not at al-"

"Don't ya dare talk back to me!" his father yelled, swinging his fist at his son. His fist collided with the back of Joey's head when he tried to avoid the blow. The force sent him sprawling onto the floor. The blond tried to scramble away, but his father was too quick. He kicked him in the stomach a few times, making him fall on his back.

Joey yelped in pain and tried to roll back over, but he was too late. His father stomped on his ribs with his boot-clad foot. Crying out in pain, Joey's father stomped on his chest again before lifting him up by the hair. Throwing the blond against the wall, his father took his beer bottle and smashed it on the side of Joey's head.

It shattered into hundreds of little pieces.

Blood trickled down the side of Joey's face as he slid to the floor in a painful heap.

"Get out," his father growled. When the blond still didn't move, his father lifted him by the back of his shirt and dragged him to the door. Opening it, Joey's father hauled him toward the stairs and pushed him. "Don't ever come back!" he yelled.

Joey tumbled down the flight of stairs and crashed at the bottom, hitting his head. He laid there for a few minutes, trying to gather his wits and control his pain. He hurt everywhere. His ribs and head were killing him.

Taking a deep breath, the blond picked himself up.

"Ah." Joey winced when he put some weight on his left foot. He probably sprained it on his fall down the stairs. He slowly made his way to the alley beneath his bedroom window. Carefully searching through the dumpster, he struggled while pulling out his duffel bag.

_What do I do now?_ Joey thought to himself. It was early evening. He couldn't move into Kaiba Mansion until tomorrow. And he couldn't bother Yugi. None of his friends knew what he went through. And he intended to keep it that way.

He'd go to the park. That was normally safe.

Satisfied with his decision, Joey gradually made his way to his safe haven.

* * *

_**Domino Park**_

Upon reaching the park, Joey went toward the public bathroom situated near the entrance. _Please let it be open_, he thought as he shakily reached for the handle. It turned. _Yes. _Stepping inside, the blond headed toward one of the sinks and looked in the mirror. There wasn't much visible damage as far as he could tell. He grabbed some paper towels, wet them, and started cleaning up his face.

When that was done, he gingerly felt the side of his head. He winced. Joey pulled his hand away and looked at it. No blood. _I guess I only got nicked on the side of my face when he nailed me with that beer bottle. Oh, well. I can hide that with my hair. No one has to know._

Cleaning up the rest of himself, Joey threw away the paper towels. Next, he lifted his shirt. His entire chest was starting to bruise. He gently touched his ribs, flinching at the contact. The blond twisted his body. Well, he could still turn, even though it hurt. Maybe he didn't have any broken ribs. Maybe they were just bruised. That was good news, at least, but it was still a little hard to breathe. He was a little short on breath, too.

Joey went into a stall. There, he opened his duffel bag and pulled out a clean shirt and pair of pants. His current clothing had a few bloodstains on them. Changing out of his ruined clothes, the blond came out of the stall and shoved the clothes into the garbage can in the bathroom. Retrieving his duffel bag, he left.

_Now. Where to go?_ Joey thought to himself. There was a secluded spot in the park he'd go to every once in a while, especially after a particularly rough beating from his father. Deciding on that destination, Joey made his way to a large oak tree near the end of the park. It was out of view from the main part of the park and the playground. He wouldn't be disturbed there.

Putting his duffel bag beneath the large tree, Joey carefully lowered himself to the ground and laid his head back on his duffel bag. Making himself as comfortable as he possibly could, the blond sighed and looked up.

It was dark already and the stars were starting to come out.

_I can never let them know. Never. I need to keep hidin'. I need to keep playin' the fool. _

He watched the stars twinkling for a bit before getting drowsy.

_I guess I should get some sleep. Tomorrow's a big day. I…can't…wait…_

Joey's thoughts faded as he drifted off to sleep underneath the giant oak tree.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_**Domino Park (Morning)**_

Sunlight sparkled through the trees while a shadow danced across Joey's sleeping face in the newly risen sun. A small bird landed on a branch above him. Fluttering its wings, the bird knocked some morning dew off the leaves of the oak tree. The pristine drops fell and landed on Joey's nose.

He opened his eyes.

_Mornin' already?_

Joey yawned and stretched. He inhaled quickly when he felt a sharp pain shoot across his chest.

_What the-oh, yeah. That's right._ He'd almost forgotten about the previous night's beating. _I wonder what time it is_.

The blond glanced at his wrist. 6:09 a.m. flashed on his watch. _It's still pretty early. Hn. Maybe I should start headin' to the Kaiba Mansion now. In my current condition, I don't know how long it'll take me to get there._

He sat up from his resting place and carefully stretched this time. Standing up, he reached for his duffel bag and headed toward the park's entrance. Before he left, however, he made a quick trip to the bathroom and checked himself for any visible injuries. Seeing none, Joey left the bathroom and headed for the Kaiba Mansion.

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion**_

"I made it," Joey said aloud, smiling since the pain in his chest was slowly starting to subside. He glanced at his watch. 7:05 a.m. _Wow. It's still pretty early. I wonder if anyone's here yet._

The blond walked toward the tall mahogany doors of the Kaiba Mansion. Hesitantly, he rang the doorbell and waited. He shifted his duffel bag from hand to hand nervously.

Suddenly, the large doors opened, only to reveal a bewildered Kaiba.

"You're here awfully early," stated the brunet. "Aren't you normally late for everything?"

"Look, are ya gonna let me in or critique me on my timeliness?" responded Joey with a glare.

"Watch it, Mutt. You'd better be glad I'm not setting you up with your own dog house in the backyard."

"I'm not a dog!"

"Sure, you aren't. Anyway, you're the first to arrive," said Kaiba, stepping off to the side to let Joey into the mansion. He glanced at the blond's duffel bag. "Is that all you have? You're staying here for a month, you know."

Joey looked uncomfortable. "I know. So, where am I stayin'?" He plastered a grin on his face.

Kaiba looked at the blond suspiciously and started walking toward the staircase. "Follow me."

"Joey!"

Both Joey and Kaiba turned at the shout. Mokuba came flying from out of nowhere and launched himself at the stunned blond. He dropped his duffel bag in order to prevent Mokuba from knocking them both over. The small boy hugged him tightly while Joey tried to stifle a whimper of pain, but hugged him back nonetheless.

"I haven't seen you in ages," said Mokuba, releasing Joey from his tight hug.

"Same here, squirt," replied the blond, laughing as he ruffled Mokuba's hair.

"I'm glad you're here! Let me help you with that!" exclaimed the small boy, grabbing Joey's duffel bag before the blond could reach it. Mokuba looked puzzled.

"This is really light. Are you sure you packed for a month?" questioned Mokuba.

"I asked him the same thing," said Kaiba.

_Oh, great. Not again. How do I get out of this one?_ Joey thought. He looked around. "Whoa! That is so cool!" he said as he headed toward a large statue at the base of the stairs. "Where on earth did ya get that?"

It was a marble statue of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Kaiba smirked at Joey's awe.

"From somewhere you can't afford, surely," replied Kaiba. Joey glared at him.

"I'll show you to your room," interrupted Mokuba. "Come on, Joey," he said, tugging on Joey's arm. Leading him up the stairs, Mokuba said, "All the rooms are on the second floor. Seto's is the first door on the left and mine is the first door on the right. Yours is right next to Seto's. Each room is completely furnished and has its own bathroom." He then walked up to Joey's intended room and opened the door. "Here you go. This is where you'll live for the next month."

Joey stepped into the room decorated in black and red. He stared. A queen-sized bed with red satin sheets and black comforter rested beneath a large window overlooking the mansion's garden. A dresser sat next to the bed as well as a desk and chair on the far side of the room. His new bedroom was also complete with a fireplace and a walk-in closet. The side of the room the bed was on had a door that led to a bathroom which contained a bathtub with a shower, sink, and all the amenities needed for one's stay. It was perfect.

"This is awesome," said Joey breathlessly.

"Have you eaten yet? If not, you can come with me to the kitchen and get yourself something to eat. Just leave your stuff here. You can unpack later," Mokuba said, smiling.

"All right." Joey hadn't really eaten much in the past couple days. His father's orders. And his new injury wouldn't help much, either. "Let's go." Joey dropped his duffel bag on the bed and followed Mokuba out of the room and toward the kitchen.

Upon entering, Joey noticed that Kaiba already sat at the table, picking at some toast while typing on his laptop.

"Sit down. What would you like? We have just about everything. Tell me and I'll tell the cook to make it for you," said Mokuba.

"Oh. Um…some scrambled eggs would be fine, if that's all right?" answered Joey hesitantly.

"Sure! Scrambled eggs coming right up!" With that, Mokuba left to inform the cook.

"Scrambled eggs? You have everything at your disposal and you ask for scrambled eggs?" questioned Kaiba, raising an eyebrow. "I expected you to have a seven course meal for breakfast."

"What? I like scrambled eggs, okay?" It was the only thing he felt his body could handle right now.

A few minutes passed before Mokuba returned with a plate of scrambled eggs.

"Enjoy!" he said.

"Thank you." Lifting a forkful to his face, he cleaned off the fork and swallowed. It hurt a bit to do so because of the pain in his chest, but he masked the ache as best as he could.

"How is it?" asked Mokuba.

"Great."

"Awesome. Seto? I'm going to go play video games for awhile, okay? Bye!" said Mokuba as he hurried off.

Kaiba and Joey sat in silence, minus the clacking of the keys on Kaiba's laptop and the clanking of Joey's fork. A few painful swallows later, Joey couldn't handle any more. He'd barely eaten half a plate.

"What do I do with this?" Joey asked.

"Just leave it there. The maids will come and pick it up," said Kaiba. He glanced at the blond's plate then narrowed his eyes inquisitively. "You didn't eat much," he said, looking up at Joey.

"I guess I wasn't really that hungry," he said hurriedly. "I'm gonna go unpack my things now." Joey got up and left, leaving Kaiba alone and wondering what would make the Mutt lose his appetite.

* * *

_**Sometime Later**_

Mokuba burst into Joey's room. "Do you have anything to wear for the party tonight?" he exclaimed. "Joey?" he asked worriedly. The blond was lying down on his bed struggling to catch his breath and he looked like he was having a nightmare. A really bad one. "Joey?" Mokuba asked again, but this time, he shook his shoulder when he did.

Joey gasped and shot up in the bed trying to breathe.

"Joey? Are you all right?" Mokuba asked quietly.

The blond jumped and looked in the direction the voice came from. He smiled when he saw Mokuba. "I'm fine."

"It looked like you were having a nightmare. What was it about?"

"I can't remember. It's no big deal," he replied, shaking his head. _It was only my old man beatin' the crap out of me. I'm not even safe in my own dreams._

"If you're sure…" Mokuba trailed off, not quite believing him.

"I'm sure. Is there somethin' ya wanted?"

"Um…yeah. I wanted to ask if you had anything to wear to the Duel Monsters Party tonight."

Joey looked at him blankly for a moment. "What Duel Monsters Party?"

Mokuba looked mad. "Did you even read what we sent you? Tonight we're having a Duel Monsters Party, seeing as how the Festival starts tomorrow. It will give everyone a chance to meet and catch up before it begins."

"Oh. Well, I don't exactly have anythin' appropriate for a party, especially a formal one," Joey said quietly.

"Good!"

"Huh?"

"That means I get to take you shopping. It's make-over time!" Mokuba cried while shooting his fist up in the air, an insane and virtually psychotic expression on his face. He could give Bakura and Marik a run for the money with that look.

"What do ya mean make-over time?" Joey looked worried.

"I am going to take you to the mall and you'll be set up with a make-over. You'll be the belle of the ball! Don't worry. I won't make you wear a dress," Mokuba snickered.

"But I can't afford a-"

"It's okay, really! It's all on me."

Joey sighed and reluctantly accepted Mokuba's offer. "Fine."

The blond hopped off the bed and left the room, Mokuba trailing behind. His thoughts drifted back to the nightmare Joey'd been having. There was something the blond wasn't saying and he wanted to know what it was.

They finally reached downstairs and Joey headed toward the front door.

"Are you all right, Mokuba?" The small boy was startled out of his thoughts by the sound of his brother's voice.

"Uh…sure…"

"Mokuba," Kaiba said sternly.

"I'm just worried about Joey," he replied as he started to walk off toward the front door as well.

"Why?" Kaiba asked sharply.

Mokuba stopped and turned to look at his brother. "I think something's wrong with Joey. And he won't say what it is. He's hiding something, Seto."

"Hn. I'll look into the matter later."

Satisfied with that response, Mokuba smiled and ran to where Joey was waiting. "We'll be back in time for the party! We're going shopping!"

* * *

_**Domino Mall (Salon)**_

"No!" shouted Joey.

"But Joey…" tried Mokuba.

"No! You are _not_ touchin' my hair!"

Mokuba and the hairstylist looked at each other and then back at Joey. Mokuba decided to pull out the puppy-eyes.

"But, Joey. I went through all this trouble to make sure you wouldn't feel out of place at the party and this is how you treat me?" he whined, tears pooling at the corners of his eyes. Talk about a guilt trip.

"Mokuba…all right," Joey gave in.

"Yeah!" Mokuba gave the hairstylist a high-five and his so-called tears magically disappeared.

"Let's get started shall we?" said the hairstylist.

Joey whimpered.

* * *

_**Domino Mall (Salon…still)**_

"I am not wearin' eyeliner!" exclaimed Joey.

"But, Joey! It'll bring out the color of your eyes!" argued Mokuba.

"Absolutely not! It'll just run into my eyes! I'm already wearing contac-" Joey covered his mouth with his hands, shocked that he'd revealed that little piece of information.

Mokuba looked at him inquisitively. "You wear contacts? I thought you had 20/20 vision."

"I do," he said quietly after a moment's pause.

Mokuba was really confused now. "Then why are you wearing contacts?" Joey looked down and fiddled with the hem of his shirt. "Come on, Joey. You can tell me. You can trust me."

"They're…colored contacts. They change my eye color," he deadpanned.

"Why would you want to change your eye color? What color are they?" questioned Mokuba, thoroughly interested. He'd always known Joey's eyes to be brown. What color were his eyes _really_, then?

"Not…many people respond well to my natural eye color. They say…it unnerves them." Joey's voice trailed off into a whisper. _Includin' my dad…_

Mokuba looked at Joey for a long time. Finally, he said, "It won't unnerve me. I promise. Take out your contacts and let me see."

Joey's eyes snapped toward Mokuba's for a minute before he gave in. _Why am I doin' this? _he thought hopelessly. Without looking at Mokuba, Joey removed his contacts and set them on the counter in the salon.

"Now, look at me," urged Mokuba.

Joey turned to face the small boy, making eye contact. Mokuba gasped. Joey's eyes were the prettiest he'd ever seen. They were a deep red, like rubies.

"Cool!"

"Huh?"

"Your eyes are awesome, Joey. Why would you hide them like that?"

_Because dad said they reminded him of her…_

"Well, I guess we don't need the eyeliner after all," Mokuba continued.

"What do ya mean?"

Joey gaped when Mokuba seized his pair of contacts and tossed them into a waste bin.

"Mokuba! That was my last pair!"

"You don't need them, Joey. You're fine just as you are. Please trust me on this one. Now, let's get you some clothes," Mokuba smirked as he dragged Joey out of the salon.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 5**

_**Kaiba Mansion (Ballroom) – Duel Monsters Party**_

"Wow! I think everyone we know is here!" exclaimed Yugi, clutching Yami's arm in excitement.

"Oh! There's Rebecca Hawkins and her grandfather," said Ryou.

"And Ishizu? Odion? What are they doing here?" questioned Malik.

"Wait. Where did Grandpa go?" asked Yugi.

"Um…he's kinda talking to…or, well, arguing with Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood," said Tristan.

"Oh, my! Is that Pegasus?" exclaimed Tea.

"It sure is. And look with whom he's speaking," stated Yami.

"Zigfried von Shroeder and Leon!" shouted Tristan.

"Hey. Isn't that Bandit Keith over there? It looks like he's talking to…Rafael!" said Yugi.

"If those two are here then surely the other two are. Yep! Right over there. Alister and Valon," said Duke.

"Anyone else?" asked Ryou.

"Uh…hey, guys…isn't that the guy Joey faced in Battle City? Espa Roba?" asked Tristan.

"Yep. And Mako Tsunami is over there, too," replied Duke.

"I guess everyone is here. Oh, hey Mai," said Yugi.

"Well, everyone except for Joey, that is," replied Yami, looking around in hopes of spotting their blond-haired friend.

"Yeah. Where is Joey?" asked Tristan.

"And Mokuba," grumbled Kaiba as he walked over to Yugi and the gang. The group consisted of Yugi, Yami, Tristan, Tea, Duke, Malik, Marik, Bakura, Ryou, and Mai.

"Mokuba's missing, too?" asked Mai.

"The two of them went shopping," Kaiba grumbled again.

"Why?" asked Duke.

"I have no idea," Kaiba replied.

"Hi, everyone!"

The group turned in the direction of the voice. There stood a grinning Mokuba.

"Hey, isn't Joey supposed to with you?" asked Tristan, looking around for the blond.

"Oh, he's here," said Mokuba slyly. No one really liked the expression on his face.

"Well…then where is he?" questioned Mai.

Mokuba turned and called out, "You can come out now, Joey!" Everyone looked in the same direction he did and gaped as Joey entered.

"He looks…" Tea began.

"So…" Mai continued.

"Hot!" finished Duke. His eyes roamed up and down Joey's body. "Serenity's all yours, Tristan." Duke couldn't take his eyes off the blond.

Joey hadn't made eye contact yet, but he was as Duke said. Hot. He wore black dress pants that showed off his curves, black dress shoes, and a silk, red dress shirt that hugged the contours of his upper body. His hair had been trimmed and tamed; it rested flat, but had been layered and feathered out on the sides. Bangs hid his eyes. He slowly made his way up to his friends, keeping his eyes on the floor. Ever so cautiously, he raised his head and looked at them.

Let's just say his eyes shocked the hell out of them.

Mai and Tea were both drooling at their new piece of eye candy, Duke started thinking of naughty things, Tristan's jaw dropped open, Ryou and Bakura got nosebleeds, Malik and Marik stopped making out long enough just to stare, Yugi's eyes widened, Yami smiled, and Kaiba…well…Kaiba was so shocked at Joey's appearance that he walked into a server, knocked him over, and sent drinks flying in every direction.

"Dude! Where did you get the red contacts?" asked Tristan suddenly.

Mokuba started laughing. "That's his real eye color!"

"Really? Whoa! Why did yo-"

Tristan was cut off by Duke pouncing in front of Joey. He pulled Joey's hands to his chest. "You wouldn't mind being my date, would you?" Duke looked like he was going to drool more than Mai and Tea combined.

Joey recoiled at his touch. "Hell no!" The blond pulled his hands out of Duke's grasp, only for them to be grabbed by a drooling Mai. "But you'll be my date, right?" she asked.

"I'm not gonna be your date, either," he said firmly, trying not to show that he was getting really freaked out by their behavior.

"Why?" exclaimed Mai.

"Because he's mine," said a deep voice from behind Joey. He turned and came face to face with a chest. Looking up, his eyes met Seto Kaiba's.

Smirking down at him, Kaiba said, "The Mutt cleans up nice." Before Joey had a chance to respond, the brunet yanked him away from his friends and toward the far side of the ballroom.

"That was strange," said Ryou.

"Yeah! Why would he choose Kaiba over me?" exclaimed Duke.

"Since when are you gay?" responded Tristan.

"Since Joey walked in a minute ago," he replied.

"Duke. Shut up," sighed Tristan, popping Duke in the back of the head.

* * *

"Where are ya takin' me?" questioned Joey as Kaiba continued to drag him. The blond squirmed, but Kaiba didn't stop until they reached a door. He turned the handle and led Joey outside onto the balcony. Closing the door behind him, he locked it so that they wouldn't be disturbed.

"What are ya doin'?" asked Joey, confused by Kaiba's behavior.

The brunet stared at him for a bit before saying, "I just wanted to say that you look nice."

_Did Kaiba just compliment me?_

"And," Kaiba began, "you have really…beautiful eyes."

_Well, that came out of nowhere. _"Kaiba? Are…ya drunk?" Joey just had to be sure this wasn't some game.

"No! Of course I'm not drunk!" Kaiba snapped.

"Okay. I'm just makin' sure," he said quietly. Joey looked down at his feet and wrung his hands. "Why did ya bring me out here?"

Kaiba smirked. "It looked like you needed saving from your friends."

"Ha…thank you, Kaiba." _Are we really havin' a civil conversation? _Joey wondered.

"But there is something I wanted to speak with you about. Two things, now, actually," Kaiba stated.

"Oh? What's that?"

"Mokuba thinks you're hiding something." He might as well cut to the chase. There was no point in beating around the bush.

"I'm not hidin' anythin'," Joey responded, trying to look innocent.

Kaiba closed the distance between them in a few strides. "Then why is he so worried about you?" He waited for Joey to answer. When none came, he said, "Tell me."

Joey groaned. "Mokuba came into my room and he said he saw me havin' a nightmare. He woke me up and I guess I startled him. He asked me what my nightmare was about, but I couldn't remember anythin'." _Well, at least it's close to the truth. Hopefully he won't look into it too much._

But Kaiba seemed like he _was_ looking for something, particularly in Joey's eyes.

"What was the other thing?" Joey asked warily.

Kaiba stared at him a bit more before saying, "I'm just curious as to why you hid your eyes. Mokuba said this was your real eye color."

Joey looked uncomfortable and Kaiba picked up on that. _What do I do? I don't want to tell him. What will he think of me then?_

"I'm waiting," continued the brunet, looking at Joey in concern.

The blond noticed the emotion swirling in his cerulean eyes and cracked. _Maybe he does care…but I have to be sure. _"First, I have to know. Do ya care? Do ya _really_ care?" he asked. Kaiba's expression softened.

"Yes," he replied quietly. Joey looked away and walked to the edge of the balcony. He gazed up at the stars and soon felt Kaiba come up behind him. The brunet placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly. "Tell me," he said softly.

Joey took a deep breath. He'd never told anyone this before. What was it about Kaiba that made him want to reveal every little thing in his life? Maybe he felt that by telling Kaiba, everything would just go away. He could make it better.

"My dad made me," Joey said emotionlessly. Kaiba was stunned by his tone.

"Why?"

"Because they reminded him of _her_."

This conversation was getting nowhere, but instead of acting harshly, Kaiba decided to let the blond take his time. "Who's _her_?"

"My mother," he said releasing his breath. A few tears followed. "My birth mother. Serenity and I don't have the same mother." Joey turned to look at the brunet. "My mother died when I was four. We have the same eyes. My dad couldn't look at me without seein' her. He made me get the colored contacts so that he wouldn't have to see her in me. He blames me for her death…" Joey's voice trailed off and he started to cry. _Why am I tellin' ya this? You're just gonna-_

Joey suddenly felt himself pulled into a hug. Was Kaiba…hugging him? The blond looked up, but the brunet's gaze focused out over the balcony. He then turned his face into Kaiba's chest and relaxed. After a few moments of silence, Kaiba let go.

The blond was the first to break the silence. "Do ya mind if I go back to my friends now?"

"Go ahead," Kaiba replied. He turned and looked out over the balcony and heard Joey leave. He still had a lot more questions, like why his father blamed Joey for his mother's death and how his mother had died, but he'd save that for another time. Actually, he hadn't expected Joey to reveal that much information about himself. To know that Joey would trust him with something like this made him feel…special. "You are full of surprises, aren't you? What else are you hiding, I wonder?"

* * *

Joey had left Kaiba and quickly made his way to his friends, only to be confronted by Mokuba.

"I can't get through to Serenity. I keep calling the home number you gave me, but the phone just keeps ringing. No one's answering," said Mokuba.

"Why are ya callin' her, anyway?" asked Joey.

"I wanted to ask if she'd like to come out here to spend time with you. But I'm not getting through."

"That's odd," replied the blond. "Can I use your phone?"

"Sure. This way." Mokuba led Joey out of the ballroom and into the living room. He handed the phone over to Joey and waited. The blond quickly dialed Serenity's home number. After about seven rings, with still no answer, he hung up.

"Let me try her cell," said Joey. He dialed his sister's cell phone number, it rang a few times and then someone answered.

"_Hello?_" Joey was momentarily stunned. That wasn't his sister's voice. "_Hello?_" the older woman's voice repeated.

"Um, who is this? And why do ya have my sister's phone?" asked Joey worriedly. He didn't know what else to say.

"_Am I speaking with Joseph Wheeler?_" the voice asked.

"Yeah, but who is this?"

The person on his sister's phone gave a sigh, which sounded a lot like…relief? "_Oh! I'm so glad we were finally able to reach you. Something's happened and I think your sister might explain it better than I. Here she is._"

"_Joey__?_" came a soft voice through the phone. Joey released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and then he started to pace.

"Serenity, what happened? What's goin' on? Who was that woman? Is ever-"

"_Joey, stop!_" exclaimed Serenity. They were silent for awhile. "_There…was…an accident. We got in a car accident. Mom didn't make it!_" And then Serenity began to cry, loud and hard.

"What?" Joey asked quietly. He visibly paled and Mokuba was starting to freak out because of it.

Serenity, gaining control over her sobs, started talking again. "_It happened a few days ago, big brother. We were driving home from school when a truck hit the car. Mom was killed instantly._" She paused and sniffed. Joey's eyes started to swell with tears.

"Are ya all right, Serenity?" he asked softly.

"_I'm fine. Mom's been buried already. That was the social worker you spoke with. We're staying with her until the paperwork is finished being put together._"

"What do ya mean _we_?" asked Joey.

"_There's something I've been meaning to tell you. I was going to during Battle City, but with everything that was going on, I couldn't find the right time to tell you,_" she cried out through the phone.

Joey tried to console her through the phone, tears starting to run down his face. "Shh…please calm down, Serenity. Don't do this when I can't comfort ya. Please. What is it that ya needed to tell me?" He wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"_Remember when mom and dad split and she sent you that letter?_" she said quietly.

"Yes," Joey said hesitantly. That was so long ago.

"M_om lied. She lied to you. He's alive,_" cried Serenity.

Joey's legs gave out and he landed on the couch, tears streaming down his face. "He's-"

"_Yes, Joey. Our little brother, Matt, is alive and well. He's been with me and Mom, completely good and well all this time. I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you sooner. He was in the car, too, but only suffered a broken wrist. He's fine. Both of us are fine. And we can't wait to see you._"

Joey tried to get his crying under control. Mokuba cautiously walked up to Joey and sat next to him. He didn't know what was going on, so he just soothingly rubbed the blond's back until he could get his heartbreaking sobs under control.

"_Joey. There's more. Our social worker contacted dad, but he wants nothing to do with us. Since you're eighteen, you're gaining custody of both me and Matt. The paperwork is just about ready for you to sign, but where are you? Dad said that you were no longer living with him,_" said Serenity, finally having control over her emotions.

Joey took a deep breath. "I'll explain everythin' later. But right now, I'm at the Kaiba Mansion for the Duel Monsters Charity Festival. I'll be here for a month," Joey replied.

"_Okay. I'll let our social worker know. We'll arrive at the Kaiba Mansion tomorrow morning then. We can't wait to see you, Joey._"

"Same here."

"_I have to go now. We love you. And we'll see you soon._"

"I love you, too. Bye." Joey heard Serenity hang up the phone and then he handed the phone over to Mokuba. As the small boy hung up the phone, Joey wasn't sure how he felt. This was just too much. Too much all at once. Everything that'd happened to him during the past few days finally caught up with him. Mokuba was too shocked to do anything when he saw Joey fall to the floor in a dead faint.

* * *

"Seto!" Mokuba darted out of the living room and entered the ballroom shouting for his brother. "Seto!" he cried out again. Suddenly, he ran into someone and that someone was Yugi.

"What's wrong, Mokuba?" asked Yugi.

"Where's Seto? Seto!" he called out again. "Seto!"

"Mokuba! I'm right here. Wha-"

"Hurry!" Mokuba said, trying to drag his brother by the arm.

"Hold on! What's so urgent?"

Mokuba turned back to his brother looking absolutely terrified. "It's Joey! Hurry!" he exclaimed, pulling his brother again. That got everyone's attention.

"What happened to Joey? Where is he?" asked a now startled Yugi.

"This way!" called out Mokuba as he ran out of the ballroom, Kaiba, Yugi, and Yami closely following him.

"In here," Mokuba said when they reached the living room.

Kaiba's heart slammed to the front of his chest when he saw Joey sprawled out on the floor looking deathly pale. "What happened, Mokuba?" he asked urgently as he rushed toward the blond, eagerly searching for a pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found that Joey was breathing. But he also discovered that the Mutt had a slight fever. Kaiba turned, seeing a pale Yugi, a concerned Yami, and an upset Mokuba. "He's fine. He's breathing, but he has a slight fever. Other than that, I think he's okay."

Yugi and Yami relaxed, but Mokuba didn't. Instead, he said, "No, he isn't! You weren't here! He's not okay!" Mokuba looked hysterical.

Kaiba looked down at Joey and then back at Mokuba. "What do you mean?" he inquired.

"I was trying to call Serenity's home number so that I could tell her she was invited to stay here. I couldn't get through, so Joey tried. He couldn't get through, either, so he tried her cell. Joey got through then, but Serenity didn't answer. Someone else did. And then he finally got to talk to her and he started to cry a bit. Then he tried to comfort her and then he broke down and I don't know what else happened. As soon as I hung up the phone, he passed out. I think it might have been due to whatever she said, Seto," Mokuba said in a rush, albeit quietly.

Kaiba groaned and turned back to Joey. Picking him up bridal style, the brunet carried him out of the living room. "Yami, Yugi. Go back to the ballroom and say that the Mutt isn't feeling well. Don't worry everyone. I'll send Mokuba to let you know what's going on later. Come, Mokuba." Yami and Yugi turned and headed toward the ballroom while Mokuba followed his brother.

They went up the stairs and into Kaiba's bedroom. The brunet gently laid Joey on his bed and tried to wake him up. "Come on, Mutt. Wake up," he said, tapping Joey on the face. The blond moaned and slowly opened his eyes.

"Where am I?" he asked groggily.

"My bedroom," answered Kaiba.

Joey's eyes widened. "Your bedroom! How did I get here?" he started, quickly sitting up and nearly butting heads with Kaiba. That was a mistake. Joey started to feel dizzy.

"Easy there, Mutt."

"Joey, are you okay?" Mokuba asked quietly. The blond let the words sink in. Now, he remembered. And then he began to cry.

Kaiba, shocked by him crying for the second time that night, wasn't sure about what he should do, so he gently put his hand on Joey's back and started to rub him in hopes to comfort the sobbing blond. That, in turn, only made Joey cry even harder. Sighing, Kaiba sat fully on the bed and inched closer to him, tenderly pulling him into his lap. The blond latched onto him and cried uncontrollably. It sounded as if he were pouring out his heart and soul with his sobs. All Kaiba and Mokuba could do was watch, giving what comfort they could until he was done.

As Joey settled down in Kaiba's arms, Mokuba asked, "What happened?"

After a few moments of silence, Joey finally responded, albeit softly. "Mom's dead."

Both Kaiba and Mokuba's eyes widened and the brunet tightened his grip on Joey. _He already told me that. Unless he means it was his sister's mother. _"How?" asked Kaiba.

"Car accident. She died instantly. She's already been buried," Joey said as he started to cry softly again.

"Does…this mean Serenity will stay with you in Domino now?" asked Mokuba timidly.

"That's not even the half of it!" Joey cried. "Mom lied to me. She lied to me."

Kaiba rocked him. It hurt knowing that Joey was going through so much emotional pain in one night. "Lied to you about what?" he asked gently.

Joey sniffed. "That my…little brother's alive. Matt's alive." He turned his face into Kaiba's chest.

"You have a brother?" exclaimed Mokuba.

Joey turned his head in the young boy's direction and nodded. "He's about your age," he said softly.

"You never mentioned having a brother before," stated Kaiba.

"It never seemed relevant. Mom sent me a letter after the divorce, sayin' that Matt had gotten ill and died. He was two at the time. She even sent me an obituary, if ya can believe that. There was no point in bringin' him up since he was…gone," he said.

Mokuba tried to lighten the mood by saying, "Well, you have a brother and sister who will be staying with you now, right?" Mokuba sounded hopeful.

"Dad doesn't want us." Joey started crying again, gradually growing more and more hysterical. "He kicked me out the day before I came here. And he wants nothin' to do with Serenity and Matt. Since I'm eighteen, I've gained custody over the both of them. But we have nowhere to go. What am I gonna do? I can't support them when I can barely take care of myself," he said hopelessly.

Mokuba looked at his brother, who nodded in return. "Then the three of you will just have to stay here with me and Mokuba," said Kaiba.

Joey jerked his head up and looked Kaiba in the eyes. "What?"

"You'll stay here," Kaiba repeated.

"Why wou-"

"Think of it as a charitable act. And who am I to break up a family? The three of you can stay here as long as you need. I wouldn't wish the separation of siblings on anyone. Are they coming here?"

Joey nodded slowly, unsure of what to think about Kaiba's sudden kindness toward him. _Why does he suddenly care?_

"When?" asked Mokuba.

"They'll be here at Kaiba Mansion tomorrow mornin' with the social worker. I'll sign the papers then and gain custody of them," answered Joey.

"Then that's what will happen. Don't worry. Everything will be fine," said Kaiba soothingly, gently rocking Joey back and forth again. The tender swaying left Joey drowsy and he gradually fell asleep in Kaiba's arms with a small smile on his face. Cautiously lifting Joey, the brunet motioned for Mokuba to pull back the covers on his bed. After doing so, Kaiba laid him down, pulled his shoes off, and pulled the covers over him. He headed for the door and beckoned for Mokuba to follow. They left the room and Kaiba lightly closed the door.

"I don't want you telling anyone what Joey just told us. That's his story to tell," said Kaiba.

Mokuba still felt a little shocked. "I won't. I just can't believe it. Why would his mom do something like that?"

"I don't know, Mokuba." _It makes me wonder what else he hasn't said. But I'll just have to wait until he's ready to tell me. _Kaiba hugged his brother firmly. "Go down and tell Yami and Yugi that he's all right and then go to bed."

"Okay, Seto," replied Mokuba. He watched as his brother opened the door to his room and went back inside, shutting the door behind him.

Mokuba headed down the stairs, thinking about what his brother had said. A smile lit up his face when he realized his brother called 'the Mutt' by his first name.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 6**

_**Kaiba's Bedroom (Morning)**_

Joey sighed and snuggled deeper into the warmth beside him, which, in turn, sighed back. He froze. Cautiously opening his eyes, Joey glanced at the thing next to him. It wore a shirt, had its arms wrapped around his waist, and looked at him with gentle blue eyes. Gentle?

"Kaiba?" Joey whispered, confused as to how they got into this state. He was still quite groggy. He checked himself; he was still fully clothed, so that was a good thing. Joey looked back up at Kaiba.

"What ar-" Joey was cut off by Kaiba taking his hand and feeling the blond's forehead.

"Your fever's gone. Do you remember what happened yesterday?" he asked quietly.

Joey thought for a minute. He'd moved into the Kaiba Mansion, went shopping with Mokuba, attended the party, and talked to his sister! Joey shot up in bed. "What time is it?" he asked urgently.

Kaiba growled. He'd been enjoying having the Mutt so close to him. "It's around 6:30 in the morning. Don't worry. Your brother and sister won't arrive until 9:00 a.m. The social worker called again last night after you fell asleep and told me when they'd be arriving. They're coming here."

Joey was shocked. Did he really tell Kaiba that much? Why did he do that? Wait…didn't Kaiba also say that he, his brother, and sister could stay? What if he changed his mind? Joey panicked. He watched as Kaiba got up from the bed and headed toward the bathroom.

"Wait!" the blond exclaimed, reaching for Kaiba's wrist. The brunet turned to look at him.

"What is it, Joey?" Kaiba asked, rare concern showing on his features.

The blond was a little taken aback. "Ya called me Joey."

"That is your name, isn't it?" he snapped. "What is it you wanted?"

Joey released Kaiba's wrist as if burned due to the harsh tone the brunet now used. He scrambled from the bed and made his way to the door, muttering an apology. Before he could open the door, a pair of hands grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around. Joey flinched.

"Hey, look at me," urged Kaiba. Startling blue eyes met uncertain red ones. "I'm sorry. I'm not much of a morning person."

Joey relaxed a little and gave a small smile. "That _is_ a surprise. I expected ya to be the type of person to be up at the crack of dawn. You're grumpy because ya haven't had your first cup of coffee, huh?"

Kaiba gave a slight chuckle, much to Joey's surprise. "I suppose you're right. Did you want to ask me something?" he inquired, looking concerned again.

Joey's face became serious. He dropped his gaze to the floor. "Did…ya mean what ya said before?" He looked back up at Kaiba. "About lettin' us stay here?" Joey's eyes regarded him timidly.

Kaiba stared at him. Trying to show him how sincere he was, he said, "I meant every word. The three of you can stay here as long as you need. If you feel uncomfortable with my offer then you can start working for me as repayment after the Duel Monsters Charity Festival. You can work as a game tester for my company if you'd like."

"I…I might. Just give me a little time to think about it, okay?"

"Okay. Now why don't you go to your room, take a shower and change, and then meet me downstairs for breakfast."

Joey nodded and headed for the door again. Before he left, he turned back. "Kaiba? Thanks."

When Joey finally left, a blush erupted on Kaiba's face. Being thanked by Joey made him feel all…warm and tingly inside. He wasn't sure how he _really_ felt about that. Maybe it was heartburn. And why did he invite Joey and his siblings to live here? Kaiba wasn't sure if he was making a big mistake or not, but all he could do was wait and see how it all turned out.

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion (Downstairs)**_

Joey felt refreshed and rejuvenated after his shower. His chest didn't hurt as much anymore and he couldn't believe Kaiba was being so nice to him. Considering last night's news, everything seemed to be going well, especially with Kaiba. Maybe it was possible that the brunet liked him. He had to care just a little in order to provide the offer he did. Smiling at the thought, Joey walked toward the kitchen, only to be confronted by a pissed off looking Kaiba. The smile he had on his face disappeared immediately.

"What's wrong?" Joey asked hesitantly, hoping the CEO wouldn't take his anger out on him.

"The cook quit," Kaiba ground out through clenched teeth.

"The cook quit?" Joey repeated slowly. "Why?"

"He said that there was no way in hell he would cook for this many people for a month. What the hell am I supposed to do now?" he roared. "It's too short of notice to find someone. How the hell am I supposed to feed all these people with no cook?" Kaiba looked ready to explode. Like he could blow up the mansion with his anger, explode.

Joey looked at Kaiba apprehensively when a thought struck him. Maybe he could pay Kaiba back after all. "Is your kitchen stocked with enough food to feed everyone?" he asked.

Kaiba regarded him suspiciously. "Yes."

"Is anyone else up yet?"

"I don't think so."

"Can ya cook?"

"Of course I ca—wait a minute! I am _not_ cooking for all these people!" Kaiba exclaimed.

Joey laughed. "I didn't say ya had to. I'll do it. Ya can help me, since we seem a little short on time. Serenity and Matt will be arrivin' in about two hours, so that should be enough time to get breakfast prepared." _And enough time to let me calm down before they arrive._

Kaiba stared at him blankly. "You can cook?" he said disbelievingly. Joey laughed again.

"Yep! Come on. Let's go to the kitchen." Joey headed off in the direction of the kitchen, Kaiba trailing behind.

When Joey entered it, his jaw practically dropped to the floor. He felt like he'd just walked into his dream kitchen. Who knew what kinds of delicious food this place was stocked with?

"Are you going to get you jaw off my floor?" questioned Kaiba, smirking at the blond's reaction to the kitchen. Joey closed his mouth. "S, what do you plan on making?"

Joey rummaged through some of the cupboards, constructing a plan in his head. "Well, since ya have a few ovens, I can make a few oat cakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, and fruit platters. We can set it all up buffet style on the dinin' room table and everyone can just serve themselves." He started pulling out the ingredients he needed to make the oat cakes. "Can ya pull some sausages out of the freezer and thaw them out some? I'll fry it up in a bit. Most of the guys are major meat eaters."

"Sure," Kaiba said, a little stunned that he was actually _following_ orders for once. He went to the freezer and pulled out some sausages and ran them under warm water from the sink until they started to thaw. Kaiba felt a bit foolish at doing something so domestic with Joey.

They worked in silence for a bit until Kaiba finally spoke up. "I didn't take you for the kind of person who liked to cook."

"I love cookin'," Joey said, checking on the oats. They were ready.

Joey glanced at Kaiba, who stared at him dumbfounded. "You seem to be pretty good at this."

"Just wait until ya taste it," Joey said huskily, smiling at Kaiba. The brunet fought back a blush, but his pale cheeks had a light pink tinge to them. Dropping his gaze, Kaiba hurriedly got back to cutting up fruit.

"Shit!" exclaimed Kaiba. Joey jumped. He watched as Kaiba jerked his left hand away from the knife and brought his bleeding finger to his lips, sucking the blood away. Joey quickly walked over to the brunet, grabbed his other, uninjured hand and pulled him over to the sink. Kaiba let him.

"Take your finger out of your mouth and let me see," Joey scolded. "Ya need to be more careful. It's not deep." He started to caress Kaiba's hand as he turned on the faucet to clean the wound and then turned it off. "Where's your first aid kit?" asked Joey.

"Under the sink," started Kaiba. He wasn't sure how to take Joey's behavior at the moment. The blond opened the cabinet beneath the sink and pulled out the first aid kit. He rummaged through it until he found some peroxide.

"This might hurt a bit," Joey said, pouring a little bit of the peroxide on Kaiba's finger. He cringed when Kaiba hissed and tried to pull his hand away. "I'm sorry," said Joey, pulling Kaiba's hand back toward him. He lightly blew on Kaiba's finger, hoping to take away the stinging. "Better?" Joey asked, turning his red eyes up toward Kaiba. The brunet did not want to let Joey see him blush, so he did the only thing he knew how.

He yanked his hand away, exclaiming, "I'm not a baby! So stop acting like a worried mother!" Kaiba regretted those words almost as soon as he said them when he saw the hurt expression on Joey's face. "Sorry," said the brunet, hoping to be forgiven.

"Let me bandage it and then I'll leave ya alone," Joey said coldly. Mentally, Kaiba was beating himself up. He just hurt Joey's feelings. He was only trying to help him and then he had to go and act like a jerk. Kaiba did not feel happy with himself right now.

Joey wrapped a Band-Aid around Kaiba's finger. He looked so concerned. The brunet couldn't resist saying what came next, "Are you going to kiss it to make it better, too?" He smirked.

"Ow!" Joey had squeezed and twisted Kaiba's poor finger, leaving him with a pained and shocked expression on his face. "What was that for?"

"It serves ya right for bein' such a jerk!" responded Joey. Kaiba supposed he deserved that one. "Now go sit down before ya hurt yourself again. I'll do everythin' else."

"Touché," mumbled Kaiba, thinking he wouldn't be heard as he stepped out of Joey's way. He was. The blond walked back over to Kaiba.

"We wouldn't want ya to lop off any fingers before ya get to duel now, would we?" Joey looked at Kaiba…playfully? The brunet smiled in return and leaned toward Joey, their faces only a few inches apart.

"No. Don't worry. I'll stay away from all sharp objects, thank you. Including that tongue of yours." Kaiba blushed when he realized how that sounded, but stood—sat—firm. Joey must have caught onto the implication, also, because he blushed as well. Kaiba leaned forward just a little bit more, their noses almost touching. They could just barely feel each other's heartbeats; they were so close. Kaiba moved in some more and Joey inhaled sharply. He could feel Kaiba's warm breath on his lips and it felt…

Gathering up his courage, Kaiba moved in, eyes closed, so that his lips would come in contact with Joey's soft, pink ones. But there was nothing there. Opening his eyes, he saw Joey spin around and gather ingredients for the oat cakes' topping. _Why did he move away?_ He was not pleased with that at all, but, perhaps, Joey had his reasons. He noticed that the blond looked extremely uncomfortable…and red.

Kaiba cleared his throat, hoping to change the vibe he'd created.

Joey started to cream together the ingredients for the topping. When he was done, he put it off to the side and went over to Kaiba's fruit station. He finished cutting up the fruit and opted to setting them up on different platters. When he was done, he covered them with plastic wrap. By then the oat cakes were just about finished. At the sound of the oven's _ping_, Joey went to fetch the oven mitts he saw hanging on one of the cabinet doors. Opening the oven, the blond pulled all four pans out and set them on the counter.

Kaiba couldn't help but gawk at him. Normally, Joey was clumsy, but in the kitchen, he was absolutely graceful. Kaiba snapped out of his daze when a cup of steaming black coffee flooded his vision. When had the Mutt done that?

"Take it. We can't have ya grumpy all day because ya missed having your mornin' coffee," said Joey, who still held the coffee. Kaiba reached for the cup and took it, his hand brushing Joey's ever so lightly. But it was enough to send a shock through the both of them. Joey quickly turned away again and Kaiba took a sip of his coffee. He sighed. It seemed to taste better today. _Maybe it's because Joey made it? No, that doesn't make any sense, _Kaiba thought.

He started watching Joey again, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth when he noticed how hard the mutt was concentrating when pouring the topping over the oat cakes. When the blond finished, he put all four oat cakes under the broiler to keep them warm.

"At a quarter to noon we need to leave for the Duel Dome for the opening announcements for the festival. After that, we'll have something to eat somewhere and then head over to the Domino Theatre and prepare for tonight's play. Everyone's invited," said Kaiba.

"What do ya mean by everyone?"

"Everyone as in all of your little duelist friends."

Joey visibly paled. "No! They're gonna to see me in a dress! I'll be the laughin' stock of the tournament! My reputation will be ruined!"

"What reputation?" Joey's eyes narrowed. Kaiba recovered himself by saying, "Ryou and Yugi will be in dresses, too, you know."

"Oh, yeah. They will. I guess that's okay then," he said, calming down. Joey decided that he should get back to cooking so he went over to the bowl that had the sausages in it.

He took the bowl of sausages and poured the water out. He brought it to the stove where he placed a large pan on the burner and turned on the heat. Laying sausages one by one, Joey filled the pan. They started to sizzle and gradually put off a scrumptious aroma. "This will wake everybody up," he laughed.

Next, Joey went to the fridge and pulled out a flat of eggs. He cracked and emptied them in a giant bowl. He seasoned them with salt, pepper, and some dried basil. Whipping the eggs, Joey set up three more pans on the burners and poured an equal amount of eggs in each. With spatula and tongs in hand, he scrambled the eggs and turned the sausages.

"Kaiba, are your maids here?"

"Uh, they should be. Why?" He was still a little stunned by the Mutt's coordination in the kitchen.

"Ask them to set the dinin' table. They can start placin' the fruit and oat cakes out there. I'll have the eggs and sausages done shortly. After I plate them, the maids can take those out, too," said Joey. Kaiba nodded and left to find his maids.

He wasn't gone for more than a minute when he returned with a few maids. Kaiba noticed that Joey was already plating the scrambled eggs and Brats. Joey told the maids what to do and they followed his orders without question, which came as a surprise to the brunet. Joey definitely held an air of authority when he wanted too.

When everything left the kitchen, Joey started to wring his hands. With nothing left to keep him occupied, he started getting nervous about what would happen at 9:00 a.m.

"What's wrong?" Kaiba asked, stepping in front of Joey.

"What if Matt hates me? What if he thinks I abandoned him? What if they don't want to stay with me?" Joey grew more and more hysterical with each question.

Kaiba grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "Stop it. He won't hate you. He won't even blame you. Everything will be fine."

"How do ya know that?" Joey asked softly, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

"You're their big brother. They can't help but love you," he said, rubbing Joey's tears away with his thumbs. "Now, let's go have some of your breakfast. Okay?"

"Okay." Joey nodded and sniffed, rubbing his eyes dry with his sleeve. Kaiba and Joey left the kitchen and headed toward the dining room. It looked like everyone was already there wolfing down his food.

"Hey, Joey! I thought you'd be like the first one here. This food rocks!" exclaimed Tristan.

"Our cook has gotten really good, Seto!" added Mokuba.

"Hn. It wasn't our cook who made all this. He quit this morning," corrected Kaiba, crossing his arms.

"Then who did it?" asked Duke, a sausage hanging out of his mouth.

"The Mutt," said Kaiba, indicating the now embarrassed Joey.

The sausage that was hanging from Duke's mouth fell to the floor and everyone stopped talking and eating to look at Joey.

"You made this?" inquired Duke.

"Yeah," responded Joey, nodding.

"You're totally hot _and_ you can cook? You are so moving in with me," Duke finished breathlessly.

"He is not because he's staying with me," Kaiba deadpanned, leaving no room for argument. He pushed Joey toward the dining table and indicated that he should get something to eat. Joey helped himself to a small piece of oat cake while Kaiba got a little bit of everything. They sat down next to Yugi, Yami, and Mokuba and began eating.

Well, Joey was more picking at his breakfast and Kaiba seemed to be in a different universe. Not literally, of course. When he took a bite of fruit, he was satisfied. When he took a bite of sausage, he thought the Mutt cooked decently. When he took a bite of scrambled eggs, he thought he liked the Mutt's cooking very much. When he took a bite of oat cake, he decided that he didn't like the Mutt's cooking. He was in love with it! Kaiba virtually inhaled everything on his plate. Not a single crumb was left.

He looked over at Joey to compliment him on the food but frowned as he saw him pushing the oat cake around on his plate. "You need to eat."

"I'm not hungry," replied Joey. That got everyone's attention...again. Everyone, for the second time that day, stopped eating and talking to stare at Joey.

"You? Not hungry?" Tristan said in disbelief. He knew something was wrong if his best bud wasn't eating. It just wasn't like him.

"You need to eat something," urged Kaiba. "You haven't eaten anything since yesterday morning. Am I right?"

Joey was saved from answering when the doorbell rang. His head snapped up and he jumped out of his seat at the sound and he looked at the clock. It was 9:00 a.m.

"I'll get it. Wait here," said Kaiba, pushing Joey back into his chair.

"But-"

"Stay!"

Joey sighed in defeat and watched Kaiba leave the room.

"What's going on, Joey?" asked Yugi, concern clouding his eyes. Joey just looked down at his plate.

"Joey, if something is wrong, you should tell us. We're here to help you," added Yami.

The blond looked up and was about to say something when he noticed Kaiba return with an older woman holding a briefcase. They approached Joey.

"Mr. Joseph Wheeler?" she asked.

"That's me," he replied quietly.

"I'm Margaret Tanner. We spoke on the phone yesterday. Let's go somewhere private, shall we?"

"Okay. Can he come, too?" Joey asked, pointing at Kaiba.

"Of course," she answered.

The three of them walked out of the dining room, leaving everyone staring after them.

"I wonder what that's all about?" questioned Duke.

"I don't know, but I guess we'll find out sooner or later, right?" answered Tristan.

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion (Kaiba's Study)**_

Margaret Tanner placed her briefcase on Kaiba's desk and opened it. She took out a small stack of papers. "Sign these, please. This grants you custody of your siblings."

Joey took the papers and signed, then he handed them back to Ms. Tanner.

"All right then. I'll be sending in Serenity and Matt," she said as she went out the door.

"Kaiba," started Joey.

"Seto," he said. He turned and looked at Joey. "Call me Seto from now on," said Seto.

"Kai-Seto? Why are ya doin' this? Why are ya helpin' me?" Joey looked up at the brunet questioningly.

"Because…" he began. He looked away. "I…want you to be happy…to smile, to laugh, to do something you _truly_ want to do. I hate seeing you so sad…so alone…" he trailed off. Seto jumped when he felt a hand grab his.

"Thank you, Seto. How can I ever repay ya?"

_A kiss would be nice._ _No! I can't ask for that! _Seto debated in his mind. "Smile. Not the ones you always hide behind so that no one sees your sadness. I want you to give me a _real_ smile," he urged.

And smile he did. A smile so pure that it started to melt Seto's icy heart, because the smile was true and just for him.

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion (Downstairs)**_

Seto and Joey finally made it downstairs, but instead of waiting for Ms. Tanner to return, they made a detour for the dining room.

"Mokuba!" Seto snapped. Mokuba almost fell off his chair. It looked like everyone was trying to squeeze information out of him. Relieved at seeing his brother, the young boy dashed toward Seto.

"Well?" Mokuba inquired.

"What's going on?" asked Yugi. "Is everything okay?"

"He got custody over Serenity and Matt," stated Seto.

"Joey? Why did you get custody over Serenity? And who's Matt?" asked Yugi, thoroughly confused.

Joey paled and remained silent. Seto gave Yugi a warning glare, making him hide behind Yami.

"Joey?" called a soft voice. The blond turned around. His eyes widened and tears began to stream down his face upon seeing his sister.

"Serenity?" She ran and launched herself into Joey's arms. They both started to cry. "I've missed ya so much," he mumbled into her hair. He pushed her back and looked at her face. There was a bruise on the side of her face, probably from the car accident. His fingers lightly grazed over the bruise. "I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault. Nothing was ever your fault," she said. "Why aren't you with dad? Where are we going to stay?"

"Dad kicked me out because I told him I couldn't be at home for the next month due of the Duel Monsters Charity Festival. He said that since I was eighteen, I should be gone anyway." It was close to the truth, but he still hated lying to his sister. "And we'll be stayin' here at the Kaiba Mansion from now on. Seto's lettin' us stay."

"Seto?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes, Se-" He cut himself off when he looked over her shoulder.

"Matt?" he inhaled sharply. Joey stepped away from Serenity and walked toward his little brother. He had hair like Joey's, but had Serenity's eyes. Matt was around Mokuba's age and about the same height. He had a cast on his wrist. "Matt?" Joey said again.

Matt looked at his brother, tears forming in his eyes. He threw himself at his Joey, who picked him up and swirled him around, clutching him tightly, like he feared Matt would disappear if he didn't. The young boy wrapped his arms around his brother's neck and cried.

"Matt…my little Matt…my little one…" Joey gasped between sobs.

"Joey…I…missed you so much," he said.

"Shh. It's okay. Everythin's gonna be okay now. Shh," Joey said, trying to comfort him.

Everyone else looked on. Some shedding a few tears from such a heartwarming scene. Even Bakura looked tearful. When Marik called him on it, Bakura responded by saying, "I have something in my eye, you idiot!"

"Oh, Matt. I'm so happy to see ya. I didn't think I'd ever get to see ya again."

"Me, neither. When Mom took us away, she said that you didn't want to be with us anymore. But I never believed that. I could never believe that." And he continued hugging his brother, afraid to let go.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 7**

_**Kaiba Mansion (Dining Room)**_

After everyone introduced themselves, Joey explained the situation to Serenity and Matt.

"Okay…" Joey started. "Um…Seto? I need to talk to ya about somethin'. Since the mansion is a bit crowded at the moment, we'll have to set up some sleepin' arrangements until the festival is over. Serenity can share with Tea and Matt can share with Mokuba. Are ya even listenin' to me?" Joey waved his hand in front of Seto's face.

Seto snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Joey. "What did you say?"

Joey groaned. "You're impossible! Do you know that? I just told ya their sleepin' arrangements," he stressed.

"Oh." Seto smiled slightly and looked at the clock. "Shit!"

"What?" asked Joey.

"We're going to be late for my own festival! EVERYONE GET OUTSIDE! NOW!" Seto roared. He bolted for the door, Joey, Mokuba, Matt, and Serenity following.

Cars lined the outside. "Get in!" shouted Seto. Everyone started piling into the cars.

* * *

_**Domino Duel Dome (Arrival)**_

They'd finally arrived at the Domino Duel Dome. And it looked like they'd arrived a bit early, too. Seto stepped out of the car while talking on his cell phone. Everyone else came out of the car behind him. Seto was on the phone with his secretary, telling her that he needed supplies for Serenity and Matt's sudden arrival. He kept arguing back and forth with her; him telling her that he needed it today and her telling him that it wasn't her job.

"I hate people!" shouted Seto when he snapped his phone shut.

"What happened?" inquired Joey.

"My bitch secretary is what happened. All I wanted was for her to order a few things for Serenity and Matt. That's all."

"Well, it's not really her job, is it?"

"Who asked you?" snapped Seto. He'd let his temper get the best of him.

Joey shrank back from him and looked away in response.

"Joey?" The blond's head snapped up and he looked at Seto…timidly? "I'm sor-"

"No. I'm sorry. What do I know? I'm just a mutt, right?" Joey said. The fire was gone from his eyes. He appeared submissive. Seto didn't like that look and he knew it was his own fault. "It's startin' soon. I'm gonna go to the arena now."

With that, Joey headed toward the Duel Arena. Seto stood back for a while before sighing and doing the same.

Matt and Mokuba glanced at each other. "I think your brother messed up," said Matt.

"I think you're right," replied Mokuba, looking concerned. "What did you do now, big brother?" he sighed.

"Hmm…they really like each other, don't they?" asked Matt.

Mokuba sighed. "Yeah. But Seto's not very good with handling his emotions. Sometimes he lets his anger get in the way of reason."

"I guess I can understand that." Matt stared after Seto when a thought dawned on him. "I have an idea."

"What?" Makuba wasn't too sure about the smirk on Matt's face.

"We're going to get our brothers back together again."

Mokuba now had a smirk that matched Matt's. "I like the way you think. Any ideas?"

"Yeah. Here's what we'll do…" And Matt started whispering in Mokuba's ear, a large grin spreading across his face.

* * *

_**Domino Duel Dome (Arena)**_

"Welcome, everyone, to the First Annual Duel Monsters Charity Festival!" Cheers erupted in the arena after the announcer's opening statement. "We have many events planned for the duration of the month. There will be dueling, rides, games, food, contests, and a Shakespearian play. Throughout Domino City for the entire month, there will be booths selling food, many different games to play, and contests. Kaiba Land will be open for those who wish to ride some great rides. And guess what the best part is? Children twelve and under can go in for free!"

More cheers sounded, especially from the children.

"Not only that, but over the duration of the festival, Domino High will be performing William Shakespeare's _All's Well That Ends Well_. Now, this is how it's going to work. Tonight will be the opening night of the play. It will be located at the Domino Theatre."

Oohs and aahs echoed in the arena.

"But they will only be performing Act I tonight. Tomorrow, the duels begin. We'll have an act from the play and then a series of duels. Since there are five acts, the play will last throughout the first round of the dueling tournament. You'll also see many of your favorite duelists performing in the play."

The crowd seemed really enthusiastic about that.

"Now, I'd like to introduce you to the twenty-six duelists of the Duel Monsters Charity Festival Tournament. Please come on down when I call your name."

Everyone waited in anticipation.

"Duke Devlin!" He winked at the crowd.

"Malik Ishtar!" He rolled his eyes.

"Marik Ishtar!" He started laughing insanely.

"Ishizu Ishtar!" She smiled at the crowd.

"Ryou Bakura!" He shook Isizu's hand.

"Um…Bakura!" He glared.

"Joey Wheeler!" He appeared emotionless.

"Yugi Mutou!" He tripped, picked himself up, and smiled sheepishly at the crowd.

"Yami Mutou!" He went over to Yugi, looking concerned.

"Mai Valentine!" She blew a kiss to the crowd.

"Seto Kaiba!" He looked...unhappy.

"Maximillion Pegasus!" He smiled and laughed giddily.

"Odion Ishtar!" He appeared quite serious.

"Weevil Underwood!" He laughed maniacally.

"Rex Raptor!" He smacked Weevil in the back of the head.

"Bandit Keith!" He crossed his arms.

"Solomon Mutou!" He winked at the ladies, but he wasn't as…effective as Duke.

"Mako Tsunami!" He smiled and waved.

"Dr. Arthur Hawkins!" He greeted Solomon.

"Valon!" Mai hugged him.

"Alister!" Mako eyed him strangely.

"Rafael!" He sighed.

"Rebecca Hawkins!" She eagerly waved at the crowd.

"Leon von Schroeder!" He shook hands with Rebecca.

"Zigfried von Schroeder!" He rolled his eyes.

"And Espa Roba!" He grinned.

"Let's have a round of applause for your twenty-six duelists!" The crowd cheered and screamed in the arena for their favorite duelists.

"Now, I'll hand it over to Mr. Seto Kaiba," finished the announcer. Seto headed toward the middle of the arena and soon everyone heard his booming voice.

"Welcome, Duelists! I will now explain what will happen during this tournament. My computer database will select your opponent. You will not know your opponent until the day a duel begins. Your deck will also be selected by my database. Again, you may make no changes to the deck you receive and you will not know of or receive your deck until you duel.

"We will have thirteen matches in the first round, leaving us with thirteen winners. We will then have a Wild Card Draw, in which a random duelist will be eliminated from round two.

"Round two will be a tag team tournament between the remaining twelve duelists. Your tag team partner will also be selected randomly by my computer database. Teams will share one deck selected by my database and teams must take turns when dueling with that deck. After those three tag duels, we will have three teams left.

"Round three will consist of the same teams. Each team will face each other once. The team with the most losses will be eliminated. When we reach round four, the teams will be divided. The remaining four duelists will duel against each other based on the selection of my computer database. At this point, a new deck will be selected by my database. You will use this deck in round five.

"The two winners will then face off against each other. These finalists will be allowed to select a deck from my database to use in the finals. The winner will be known as the Champion of Kaiba Corporation."

He paused when sounds of excitement rippled through the arena.

"The first duels begin tomorrow. I hope to see you there." Seto stepped down and the announcer for the festival started speaking again.

"All right. You've heard it from the man himself. Okay, now. As a reminder, tonight will be the performance of Act I of _All's Well That Ends Well_. All duelists must attend. It will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Domino Theatre. Thank you and good day! Enjoy the Duel Monsters Charity Festival!"

After this dismissal, Joey hurried away with Seto close behind.

"Joey, wait!" started Seto. He grabbed the blond and turned him around. "I need to talk to you."

Joey bowed his head. He would not look at him. This submissive behavior was really starting to scare Seto.

"Hey, look at me," the brunet said gently. He lifted Joey's chin so that he could look into his eyes. Seto's heart almost broke at the look. Joey looked so broken and scared. "I am really sorry about what I said earlier. I…let my anger get the best off me." He swallowed hard. "I did not mean to snap at you. I'll try to keep my anger under control. You have my solemn word."

Joey searched his eyes, hoping to see truth in them. "Okay," he said. "Ya do _like_ me, right?"

"Yes." Seto suddenly realized what he was answering. He blushed.

Joey giggled then sighed. "I think maybe, just maybe, you'll need help keepin' your anger in line. A lot of help. I can help ya with that if ya want. What do ya think?"

"I think I'd like that very mu-"

"Joey! Seto!"

They both jumped when they heard Mokuba yell. He ran over to them, breathing hard.

"He's gone! Matt's gone! I can't find him anywhere!"

"What do ya mean he's gone?" cried Joey. "Why weren't ya together?" Joey looked like he was on the verge of either fainting or strangling Mokuba. It was probably a little bit of both.

"Where did you last see him?" Seto asked urgently.

"Umm…I…I can't remember!" whimpered Mokuba.

Joey started pulling his hair in distress. "We need to find him Seto! We need to find him!"

"What's going on, Joey?" exclaimed Yugi, rushing over to his disheveled friend.

"Matt is missin'! He's missin'!"

"Everybody split up! I want this place searched from top to bottom! I'll notify security!" said Seto. "Come with me, Joey."

Soon, an announcement could be heard over the intercom system, notifying all personnel and anyone within earshot that there was a child missing. A brief description of Matt was given, including his name, and people ran off in all directions in search of him.

* * *

"Everything's going according to plan," muttered Mokuba. "This was definitely the best way to get our brothers back together," he continued as he entered the Men's Restroom. He went over to the stall Matt was in.

"He's not here!" screeched Mokuba. His eyes widened.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

"_Okay, Matt. You stay in this stall until I come and get you, okay?" said Mokuba._

"_Okay," said Matt._

_Matt locked the door to the stall and Mokuba left the bathroom to set their plan in motion._

_**End Flashback**_

* * *

_**Back with Mokuba**_

"Why would he leave?" questioned Mokuba while he started to panic. "Seto's going to kill me!"

Mokuba ran from the restroom, hoping to find Matt before anything bad could happen to him.

* * *

_**Domino Duel Dome (Lobby)**_

"Where is he, Seto? We've looked everywhere," Joey cried hopelessly. For once, Seto didn't know what to do. He felt so…powerless. And there was nothing he could do. They'd searched everywhere. It was as if Matt had vanished. He tried to comfort Joey, but he didn't know what to say. His eyes started tearing up.

"Joey-"

"Are you looking for this?" came a familiar voice from behind Seto. "You really should be more careful Kaiba-boy."

Seto and Joey jumped at Pegasus' voice. They whirled around to face him and their eyes lit up in relief at the sight before them. Joey flung himself at Matt, hugging him tightly.

"Joey? What's wrong with you?" Joey sniffed and leaned away from Matt's face. He inspected every inch of him to make sure he was all right.

"Where were ya? Are ya all right? Are ya hurt?" Joey fretted.

Matt looked confused. "I'm okay." He then looked at Seto. "Help?"

Now it was Seto's turn. He firmly took Matt out of Joey's arms, much to Joey's dismay, and squeezed him in relief. "Don't you ever do that again!" he scolded. Mokuba had been kidnapped enough to know exactly what Joey had been feeling.

Then Joey did something unexpected. He jumped at Pegasus and hugged him. "Thank you so much for findin' him." He released Pegasus from his death grip and looked at him. "Where was he? How did ya find him?"

Pegasus just smiled. "Ask the boy. Mind those siblings of yours. That goes for the both of you. Take care." He waved and made his way out of the Duel Dome.

"What did he mean?" asked Joey. "Matt, what happened?"

Matt fidgeted because he wasn't sure if he should answer. "Um…"

"What happened?"

"Okay. Mokuba and I made a plan. We went to the bathroom and I stayed in the stall. I was going to hide so that you would panic. It was meant to get you and Seto back together. But I got really hungry! I left to find you, but then I got lost. Then that…weirdo found me."

Joey and Seto stared at Matt for the longest time, unsure of what they just heard.

Joey narrowed his eyes, an evil glare marring his features. He took a few steps away from Seto and Matt. "MOKUBA! YA BETTER GET YOUR SCRAWNY BUTT OVER HERE RIGHT NOW! YOU AND MATT ARE IN BIG TROUBLE!"

* * *

"What on earth did ya two think ya were doin'?" roared Joey. Matt and Mokuba looked down at their feet sheepishly. "Explain! Now!" His voice left no room for argument. Seto just stood there, wondering how Joey suddenly became a disciplinarian.

"We saw you and Seto fight. We didn't know what is was about, but we wanted to get you guys back together again," Mokuba said quietly.

"We thought that if one of us was missing, you guys would forget about what happened and get together again…because you care about us…" continued Matt.

"So Matt kinda hid in the bathroom. Just long enough for you and Seto to get back together. But when I went back to the bathroom, he was gone! I didn't know he would actually go missing!" Mokuba seemed like he was about to cry.

"And I didn't really mean to get lost, either!" implored Matt.

Joey's heart softened at their heartfelt intentions.

"Ya _do_ realize that you'll need to be punished, right?" asked Joey. Matt and Mokuba stared at Joey apprehensively.

"Punished?" they responded in unison.

"Yes, punished. Ya will not be grounded, ya can still have dessert, and ya can still play your video games."

_How is this punishment? _Seto thought.

"Since I believe the punishment should fit the crime, for the next week the both of ya will be cleanin' all of the bathrooms in the Kaiba Mansion. Whenever we return to the mansion, both of ya will head off to the bathrooms and clean them. I want them spotless. Hidin' in the _bathroom_ means ya get _bathroom_ duty. Is that understood?"

Matt and Mokuba glanced at each other then looked at Joey and nodded.

"Good. I'll be checkin' in with the guests, also, to make sure you're doin' just that."

"Oh no, you won't. Because Mokuba will be doing no such thing," growled an irritated Seto. "You have no right to discipline _my _brother. He will not be cleaning any bathrooms."

"And why not? They both did the crime, now they both do the time. What'll they learn if ya don't let them have desserts or any video games? What can they possibly learn from that?" argued Joey.

"What can they possibly learn from cleaning a filthy bathroom?" he argued back. Matt and Mokuba cringed.

"First off, they'll most likely think twice before pullin' a stunt like this again. Secondly, they'll be learnin' what it's like to be responsible. Thirdly, they'll come to realize what they take for granted. Think about it. And finally, after cleanin' all the bathrooms in the Kaiba Mansion for the next week, they'll not likely want to cross paths with me again in somethin' like this.

"If I have to break this down for ya, it means that Matt and Mokuba will never do somethin' like this again because they won't want to see what else I could possibly have in store for them. Maybe ya should think about that. That goes for you guys, too," he said, indicating Matt and Mokuba.

"I don't think so-" began Seto,

"It's okay, Seto. We shouldn't have done that. It's only fair that Matt and I do this. And I'll clean those bathrooms whether you want me to or not."

"We were only trying to help you and Joey get back together. We didn't mean any harm," continued Matt.

"We are _not _together," Seto deadpanned. "And if you thought so, you are sorely mistaken. I would never _be_ _together_ with someone as intolerable as this Mutt." He glared at Joey.

Joey started to fight back tears. He was hurt by Seto's words.

* * *

They walked out of the Duel Dome. Matt and Mokuba followed closely behind in silence. Serenity walked beside them. Joey was hurt. Truly hurt. Why couldn't anything ever go right for him? Why was he always hurt? What was it about him that always made Seto angry?

Seto confused him. Sometimes he was sweet and kind, and other times he was cruel and heartless. Why?

Joey tried not to think about that anymore. He was tired of being hurt by Seto. He should just let him go his own way. He'd take care of Matt and Serenity and just stay out of his way. Yeah. He'd do that. It was better that way.

But if that were so, why did he feel so depressed?

"Joey?" Matt's soft voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"I'm hungry," Matt said, rubbing his stomach.

Joey forced a small smile on his face. "Okay. We'll get ya some food. Ya guys want to go to Burger World?" Everyone cheered up at the prospect. Everyone…except Joey.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 8**

_**Domino Theatre (Arrival) – Backstage **_

Everyone rushed to the Domino Theatre in a panic. They had just one hour to get undressed, into their…questionable costumes, set the stage, and review their lines. Let's just say we have some very nervous performers.

"I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this," said Yami, rocking back and forth. He was starting to hyperventilate. Yugi tried desperately to soothe him.

"Yami, calm down. You're not even in the first scene." Yugi backed away when Yami glanced at him with a crazed look in his eye.

"I know! But I perform _after_ the first scene!" At this point, Yami started spouting nonsense, and Yugi tried dragging the former pharaoh to a dressing room to change into their costumes. He didn't like that too much. It seemed a bit funny seeing Yugi drag Yami by the ankles while he dug his nails into the floor, screaming all the way.

"I never thought I'd see the day when Yami was actually afraid of something," said Duke.

"I know what you mean. It makes me kinda nervous, too," replied Tristan.

"What are ya nervous for? Ya don't even perform yet," said Joey halfheartedly. He looked a bit out of it.

"I know. But that doesn't mean I can't be nervous, right? Go get changed. You know we all want to see you in that dress. Hahaha," laughed Tristan. Duke started laughing as well when Joey walked off to find a dressing room to change in, costume in hand.

He went to the furthest dressing room, entered, and locked the door. Hanging the dress up, Joey stared at it. Why on earth was this style ever created? The dress was extremely heavy and very revealing around the neck. There was also a wig he needed to put on, as well as a bit of make-up.

"I hate my life," he grumbled as he started stripping out of his clothes. _Seto despises me. What am I gonna do? _He sighed as he fought back tears._ And I have to do this stupid play…_

Joey put on his stockings first and then the under dress. _I guess Seto and I will just go back to hatin' each other now. _

Next, he pulled the dress over his head and almost toppled over because of the weight. Fighting his was through it, he finally popped his head through the hole. Sticking his arms through the sleeves, he adjusted the front until it fit just right.

"This damn thing sure is tight. I can hardly breathe. How the hell did these women put up with this stuff?" he mumbled. The dress was so tight that it squeezed his injured ribs, making it not only hard for him to breathe, but he couldn't move without wincing in pain, too. He twisted back and forth a few times, getting used to the feel. "I guess I can do this. But my ribs are killin' me." _Why doesn't anythin' ever go right for me?_

Next, he put on his shoes. Those were tight as well. He almost fell over when he tried walking in them. Taking his steps slowly, he finally figured out how to walk in the damned shoes without tripping on his dress. Feeling satisfied with his movements, Joey headed over to the mirror and started applying the make-up he was given.

Groaning, he picked up the eye-liner and carefully applied it. _That was easy,_ he thought. After that, he grabbed the mascara. He did his left eye first and then moved onto his right. Joey got a bit too close to his eye and blinked…hard…

"Dammit!" He screwed up big time. Joey had a large glob of black mascara below his right eye and dark marks from his eyelashes underneath his left eye. Furious, Joey grabbed a tissue and some make-up remover from the make-up kit he had and started wiping away the mascara. When he was done, he tried putting the mascara on again and grinned at his success.

"Now for the wig," he sighed, glaring at the blonde wig. He reluctantly picked it up and placed it on his head. Straightening out the hair as best as he could, he decided to look at himself in the full-length mirror in the dressing room. He braced himself. He did not want to see himself dressed as a woman.

He looked in the mirror and inhaled sharply. Joey stepped closer to the mirror and gawked at himself. He was…stunning; beautiful, even. The hair reached past his shoulders and curled slightly around his neck and chest. The make-up accented his eyes nicely. As for the dress, it hugged his figure snuggly, the low-cut front revealing a chest he did not have. He felt exposed, but exotic. And then Joey did something he never thought he'd ever do. He smiled. But soon that smile faltered when he realized something.

EVERYONE ELSE WAS GOING TO SEE HIM THIS WAY!

* * *

_**Domino Theatre (Auditorium)**_

"Good evening, everyone. We welcome you to the Domino Theatre. The Duel Monsters Charity Festival is proud to present a play by our very own Domino High. Tonight, we will see the first act of the play and tomorrow, the duels begin. After each act, there will be a few duels at the Domino Duel Dome. Now, I ask for you to give a round of applause for William Shakespeare's _All's Well That Ends Well_," said the announcer as he stepped off the stage.

Clapping sounded as the lights dimmed and the play began.

* * *

_**All's Well That Ends Well Cast**_

Helena – Joey

Bertram, Count of Rousillon – Seto

King of France – Yami

Countess of Rousillon – Yugi

Lafeu, an Old Lord – Marik

Parolles, a Follower of Bertram – Duke

Lavache – Bakura

Widow – Malik

Duke of Florence – Tristan

Diana – Ryou

Mariana – Tea

* * *

_**Domino Theatre (Backstage)**_

"Guys. You're on," hissed Duke while trying to stifle his laughter. Seeing Joey in the dress cracked him up.

"Crap! Already?" exclaimed Joey, fiddling around with the dress he wore.

"Will you shut up? Just get going, you stupid Mutt, and don't forget your damn lines," growled Seto, pushing Joey off to the side so that he could step onstage.

"Ya bas-"

"Joey! Go!" said Tristan, as he pushed Joey after Seto.

* * *

_**Domino Theatre (Onstage)**_

_Act I, Scene I – Rousillon – The Count's Palace_

Seto/Bertram, Yugi/Countess, Joey/Helena, and Marik/Lafeu entered the stage, all dressed in black.

Yugi/Countess began. "In delivering my son from me, I bury a second husband."

"And I in going, madam, weep o'er my father's death / anew: but I must attend his majesty's command, to / whom I am now in ward, evermore in subjection," replied Seto/Bertram, appearing distracted.

Marik/Lafeu approached, looking scarier than usual dressed as an old lord.

"You shall find of the king a husband, madam; you, / sir, a father: he that so generally is at all times / good must of necessity hold his virtue to you; whose / worthiness would stir it up where it wanted rather / than lack it where there is such abundance," said Marik/Lafeu.

"What hope is there of his majesty's amendment?" asked Yugi/Countess.

"He hath abandoned his physicians, madam; under whose / practi…practis…practica…ah hell. The stupid king has given up all hope of being well again," summed up Marik/Lafeu. "Stupid lines," he mumbled.

Yugi looked momentarily stunned before jumping into his lines. "This young gentlewoman had a father,-O, that / 'had'! how sad a passage 'tis!-whose skill was / almost as great as his honesty; had it stretched so / far, would have made nature immortal, and death / should have play for lack of work. Would, for the / king's sake, he were living! I think it would be / the death of the king's disease."

"…um. How called you the man you speak of, madam?" said Marik/Lafeu, scratching the back of his head in doing so.

"He was famous, sir, in his profession, and it was / his great right to be so: Gerard de Narbon," replied Yugi/Countess, smiling.

And continued smiling.

And smiled some more.

Then he kicked Marik in the shin.

"Ow! He was excellent indeed, madam: the king very / lately spoke of him admiringly and mourningly: he / was skilful enough to have lived still, if knowledge / could be set up against mortality," growled Marik/Lafeu through clenched teeth.

Seto/Bertram held in a groan before saying, "What is it, my good lord, the king languishes of?"

"A fistula, my lord," said Marik/Lafeu. "What the hell is a fistula anyway?" hissed Marik.

"An opening between the organs caused by disease," Yugi whispered back, "Now be quiet."

"I heard not of it before," said Seto/Bertram, glaring at the two of them.

"I would it were not notorious. Was this gentlewoman / the daughter of Gerard de Narbon?" responded Marik/Lafeu.

"His sole child, my lord, and bequeathed to my / overlooking. I have those hopes of her good that / her education promises; her dispositions she / inherits, which makes fair gifts fairer; for where / an unclean mind carries virtuous qualities, there / commendations go with pity; they are virtues and / traitors too; in her they are the better for their / simpleness; she derives her honesty and achieves her goodness," said Yugi/Countess.

"Your commendations, madam, get from her tears," replied Marik/Lafeu.

"'Tis the best brine a maiden can season her praise / in. The remembrance of her father never approaches / her heart but the tyranny of her sorrows takes all / livelihood from her cheek. No more of this, Helena; / go to, no more; lest it be rather thought you affect / a sorrow than have it," responded Yugi/Countess.

_Finally. It's my turn,_ thought Joey.

In a soft voice, Joey/Helena said, "I do affect a sorrow indeed, but I have it too."

Laughing at Joey's attempt at a 'feminine' voice, Marik/Lafeu said, "Moderate l-lamentation is the right of the dead, (_snicker_) / excessive grief the enemy to the living." And he continued laughing.

Yugi elbowed Marik in the stomach to stop him from laughing. "If the living be enemy to the grief, the excess / makes it soon mortal," he said, glaring at Marik.

_I wish these idiots would cut it out_, thought Seto. "Madam, I desire your holy wishes."

"How understand we that?" groaned Marik/Lafeu, clutching his stomach.

"Be thou blest, Bertram, and succeed thy father / In manners, as in shape! thy blood and virtue  
Contend for empire in thee, and thy goodness / Share with thy birthright! Love all, trust a few,  
Do wrong to none: be able for thine enemy / Rather in power than use, and keep thy friend  
Under thy own life's key: be cheque'd for silence, / But never tax'd for speech. What heaven more will, / That thee may furnish and my prayers pluck down, / Fall on thy head! Farewell, my lord; / 'Tis an unseason'd courtier; good my lord, / Advise him," said Yugi/Countess.

"He cannot want the best / That shall attend his…love…" said Marik/Lafeu reluctantly.

"Heaven bless him! Farewell, Bertram," said Yugi/Countess, exiting the stage, but he glanced back briefly to give Marik one last glare. "Behave!" mouthed Yugi.

Seto/Bertram turned to Joey/Helena, who looked at him with a glare of his own. "The best wishes that can be forged in / your thoughts be servants to you! Be comfortable / to my mother, your mistress, and make much of her," said Seto/Bertram.

"Farewell, pretty lady: you must hold the credit of / your father," said Marik/Lafeu, laughing again because he just called Joey a pretty lady.

Joey blushed after Marik's line.

Seto/Bertram and Marik/Lafeu left the stage, a little too quickly in Joey's eyes. He was alone on stage.

_Just great_, he thought.

"O, were that all! I think not on my father; / And these great tears grace his remembrance more  
Than those I shed for him. What was he like? / I have forgot him: my imagination  
Carries no favour in't but Bertram's. / I am undone: there is no livin', none, / If Bertram be away. 'Twere all one / That I should love a bright particular star / And think to wed it, he is so above me: / In his bright radiance and collateral light / Must I be comforted, not in his sphere.  
The ambition in my love thus plagues itself: / The hind that would be mated by the lion / Must die for love. 'Twas pretty, though plague, / To see him every hour; to sit and draw / His arched brows, his hawkin' eye, his curls, / In our heart's table; heart too capable / Of every line and trick of his sweet favour: / But now he's gone, and my idolatrous fancy / Must sanctify his reliques. Who comes here?" said Joey/Helena.

Duke came onstage as Parolles, saying on the side, "One that goes with him: I love him for his sake; / And yet I know him a notorious liar, / Think him a great way fool, solely a coward; / Yet these fixed evils sit so fit in him, / That they take place, when virtue's steely bones / Look bleak i' the cold wind: withal, full oft we see / Cold wisdom waiting on superfluous folly."

He then addressed Joey/Helena directly. "Save you, fair queen!"

"And you, monarch!"

"No."

"And no."

"Are you meditating on virginity?" asked Duke/Parolles, smirking at Joey/Helena.

Blushing slightly, Joey/Helena said, "Ay. Ya have some stain of soldier in you: let me / ask ya a question. Man is enemy to virginity; how / may we barricade it against him?"

"Keep him out."

"But he assails; and our virginity, though valiant, / in the defence yet is weak: unfold to us some  
warlike resistance."

"There is none: man, sitting down before you, will / undermine you and blow you up."

_Why the hell do we have to discuss virginity of all things? Is this even appropriate? _thought Joey. "Bless our poor virginity from underminers and / blowers up! Is there no military policy, how / virgins might blow up men?"

_Heh. Finally. The moment I've been waiting for_, thought Duke. "Virginity being blown down, man will quicklier be / blown up: marry, in blowing him down again, with / the breach yourselves made, you lose your city. It / is not politic in the commonwealth of nature to / preserve virginity. Loss of virginity is rational / increase and there was never virgin got till  
virginity was first lost. That you were made of is / metal to make virgins. Virginity by being once lost / may be ten times found; by being ever kept, it is / ever lost: 'tis too cold a companion; away with 't!"

"I will stand for 't a little, though therefore I die a virgin." _I wish I could die right now_, thought Joey, internally groaning because he had to say these embarrassing lines.

"There's little can be said in 't; 'tis against the / rule of nature. To speak on the part of virginity, / is to accuse your mothers; which is most infallible / disobedience. He that hangs himself is a virgin: / virginity murders itself and should be buried in / highways out of all sanctified limit, as a desperate / offendress against nature. Virginity breeds mites, / much like a cheese; consumes itself to the very / paring, and so dies with feeding his own stomach. / Besides, virginity is peevish, proud, idle, made of / self-love, which is the most inhibited sin in the / canon. Keep it not; you cannot choose but loose / by't: out with 't! within ten year it will make / itself ten, which is a goodly increase; and the / principal itself not much the worse: away with 't!" said Duke/Parolles, a feral grin plastered on his face.

"How might one do, sir, to lose it to her own likin'?" asked Joey/Helena, the blush darkening on his cheeks.

"Let me see: marry, ill, to like him that ne'er it / likes. 'Tis a commodity will lose the gloss with / lying; the longer kept, the less worth: off with 't / while 'tis vendible; answer the time of request. / Virginity, like an old courtier, wears her cap out / of fashion: richly suited, but unsuitable: just / like the brooch and the tooth-pick, which wear not / now. Your date is better in your pie and your / porridge than in your cheek; and your virginity, / your old virginity, is like one of our French  
withered pears, it looks ill, it eats drily; marry, / 'tis a withered pear; it was formerly better; / marry, yet 'tis a withered pear: will you anything with it?"

"Not my virginity yet [ ] /" Joey looked like he wanted the stage to swallow him whole. "There shall your master have a thousand loves, / A mother and a mistress and a friend, / A phoenix, captain and an enemy, / A guide, a goddess, and a sovereign, A counsellor, a traitress, and a dear; / His humble ambition, proud humility, / His jarring concord, and his discord dulcet,  
His faith, his sweet disaster; with a world / Of pretty, fond, adoptious christendoms, / That blinkin' Cupid gossips. Now shall he- / I know not what he shall. God send him well! / The court's a learnin' place, and he is one—"

"What one, I' faith?" asked Duke/Parolles.

"That I wish well. 'Tis pity—"

"What's pity?"

_I really think dice-boy enjoys the 'interruptin' me' part_, Joey thought to himself. "That wishin' well had not a body in 't, / Which might be felt; that we, the poorer born, / Whose baser stars do shut us up in wishes, / Might with effects of them follow our friends, / And show what we alone must think, which never / Return us thanks."

Suddenly, a person dressed as a page came onstage, saying, "Monsieur Parolles, my lord calls for you." He then left.

"Little Helen, farewell; if I can remember thee, I / will think of thee at court," said Duke/Parolles.

"Monsieur Parolles, ya were born under a charitable star," replied Joey/Helena. _More like a perverted one_, Joey thought to himself.

"Under Mars, I think," said Duke/Parolles.

"I especially think, under Mars."

"Why under Mars?"

"The wars have so kept ya under that ya must needs / be born under Mars."

"When he was predominant."

"When he was retrograde, I think, rather."

"Why think you so?" asked Duke/Parolles.

"Ya go so much backward when ya fight."

"That's for advantage."

"So is runnin' away, when fear proposes the safety; / but the composition that your valour and fear makes / in ya is a virtue of a good wing, and I like the wear well," Joey/Helena said, smirking.

Duke/Parolles narrowed his eyes. "I am so full of businesses, I cannot answer thee / acutely. I will return perfect courtier; in the / which, my instruction shall serve to naturalize / thee, so thou wilt be capable of a courtier's / counsel and understand what advice shall thrust upon / thee; else thou diest in thine unthankfulness, and / thine ignorance makes thee away: farewell. When / thou hast leisure, say thy prayers; when thou hast / none, remember thy friends; get thee a good husband, / and use him as he uses thee; so, farewell," responded Duke/Parolles as he turned to leave the stage.

Joey/Helena stepped toward the middle of the stage and looked out at the audience. "Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie, / Which we ascribe to heaven: the fated sky / Gives us free scope, only doth backward pull / Our slow designs when we ourselves are dull. / What power is it which mounts my love so high, / That makes me see, and cannot feed mine eye? / The mightiest space in fortune nature brings / To join like likes and kiss like native things. / Impossible be strange attempts to those / That weigh their pains in sense and do suppose / What hath been cannot be: who ever strove / So show her merit, that did miss her love? / The king's disease-my project may deceive me, / But my intents are fix'd and will not leave me," said Joey/Helena. He looked quite determined and sincere.

He turned and left the stage.

* * *

_**Domino Theatre (Backstage)**_

"I don't understand this stupid play!" exclaimed Bakura.

By this time, Yugi had just about had it with everyone. "Look! The Countess's husband died and everyone goes to pay their respects. The king is mentioned and everyone finds out that he has an illness. The king tries just about everything and he is still ill, so he's given up all hope. Gerard de Narbon, an excellent healer with the potential to cure the king, is dead, but has a daughter, Helena, who is now in the care of the Countess. She may be able to help the king because some knowledge may have been passed down to her. Helena is also in love with Bertram. Parolles comes and speaks with Helena about virginity and he basically tells her to go ahead and lose it. No big deal. She disagrees. Helena then outwits Parolles and he responds by saying he has no time to make a good comeback. Helena is then alone and implies that she has a way to cure the king and will get what she most desires by curing him: Bertram." Yugi stopped abruptly, breathing hard.

Everyone was amazed that he could sum it up that quickly.

Bakura looked stunned. "Okay," he said quietly.

Yugi looked pretty unpredictable at this point. His eyes twitched insanely and no one really wanted to mess with him. He looked kind of scary. But suddenly, his face lit up and he turned to face Joey.

"Joey, you were really good!" exclaimed Yugi. "You sounded really convincing, too."

_That was a quick change of moods, _thought Joey. "What? I was just actin', Yugi," he replied.

"Yeah, acting. You got the blushing down pretty good. I don't even think you are supposed to blush at that part," snickered Duke. "And you're such a pretty lady, too."

"Shut up!" snapped Joey, who was blushing again.

"What do you think, Kaiba?" asked Duke.

Seto just stared at them and then smirked coldly, his eyes meeting Joey's. "Well, is that the best the Mutt can do? Recite lines and blush every once in awhile? Like that's talent. I'll have you know that acting is much more than memorizing a few lines."

"One, I am not a dog! Two, I can act quite well, thank ya very much. At least I can express different emotions, ya heartless robot!" snarled Joey. _Why does Seto have to treat me like this? _

"Hn. As if you'd ever do that role justice," Seto growled, glaring at Joey before getting ready for the next scene.

"I'll do this role justice. Just watch me," mumbled Joey, accepting the silent challenge.

"Yami, you're up," said Duke.

Yami looked nervous. "I don't think I can do this."

"What? You can duel in front of hundreds of people and on national television, but you can't act in front of an audience? You are such a laugh, pharaoh," cracked Bakura.

"Well, at least I'm not playing a clown," instigated Yami.

"Why you-"

"Yami, just go!" urged Yugi.

"All right. I'm going," replied Yami.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 9**

_**Domino Theatre (Onstage)**_

_Act I, Scene II – Paris – The King's Palace_

Trumpets sounded from the orchestra pit as Yami/King came onstage with letters and divers attendants.

"The Florentines and Senoys are by the ears; / Have fought with equal fortune and continue / A braving war," began Yami/King in a strong voice.

Another student playing the First Lord addressed Yami/King. "So 'tis reported, sir."

"Nay, 'tis most credible; we here received it / A certainty, vouch'd from our cousin Austria, / With caution that the Florentine will move us / For speedy aid; wherein our dearest friend  
Prejudicates the business and would seem / To have us make denial."

"His love and wisdom, / Approved so to your majesty, may plead / For amplest credence."

"He hath arm'd our answer, / And Florence is denied before he comes: / Yet, for our gentlemen that mean to see / The Tuscan service, freely have they leave / To stand on either part," said Yami/King.

A second student appeared, playing the Second Lord. He said, "It well may serve / A nursery to our gentry, who are sick / For breathing and exploit."

"What's he comes here?" asked Yami/King.

Seto/Bertram, Marik/Lafeu and Duke/Parolles came onstage next.

The First Lord said, "It is the Count Rousillon, my good lord, / Young Bertram."

"Youth, thou bear'st thy father's face; / Frank nature, rather curious than in haste, / Hath well composed thee. Thy father's moral parts / Mayst thou inherit too! Welcome to Paris," said Yami/King.

"My thanks and duty are your majesty's," replied Seto/Bertram.

Yami/King approached Seto/Bertram. _Please let me remember these lines_, Yami thought feebly. "I would I had that corporal soundness now, / As when thy father and myself in friendship / First tried our soldiership! He did look far / Into the service of the time and was / Discipled of the bravest: he lasted long; / But on us both did haggish age steal on / And wore us out of act. It much repairs me / To talk of your good father. In his youth / He had the wit which I can well observe / To-day in our young lords; but they may jest / Till their own scorn return to them unnoted / Ere they can hide their levity in honour; / So like a courtier, contempt nor bitterness / Were in his pride or sharpness; if they were, / His equal had awaked them, and his honour, / Clock to itself, knew the true minute when / Exception bid him speak, and at this time / His tongue obey'd his hand: who were below him / He used as creatures of another place / And bow'd his eminent top to their low ranks, / Making them proud of his humility, / In their poor praise he humbled. Such a man / Might be a copy to these younger times; / Which, follow'd well, would demonstrate them now / But goers backward." _Whew, I did it._

"His good remembrance, sir, / Lies richer in your thoughts than on his tomb; / So in approof lives not his epitaph / As in your royal speech," Seto/Bertram said.

"Would I were with him! He would always say- / Methinks I hear him now; his plausive words / He scatter'd not in ears, but grafted them, / To grow there and to bear,-'Let me not live,'- / This his good melancholy oft began, / On the catastrophe and heel of pastime, / When it was out,-'Let me not live,' quoth he, / 'After my flame lacks oil, to be the snuff / Of younger spirits, whose apprehensive senses / All but new things disdain; whose judgments are / Mere fathers of their garments; whose constancies / Expire before their fashions.' This he wish'd; / I after him do after him wish too, / Since I nor wax nor honey can bring home, / I quickly were dissolved from my hive, / To give some labourers room." _Doesn't this dialogue ever end? I don't even think I actually know what I'm saying,_ thought Yami.

The Second Lord spoke again. "You are loved, sir: / They that least lend it you shall lack you first."

"I fill a place, I know't. How long is't, count, / Since the physician at your father's died? / He was much famed," inquired Yami/King.

"Some six months since, my lord," answered Seto/Bertram.

Yami/King looked contemplative. "If he were living, I would try him yet. / Lend me an arm; the rest have worn me out / With several applications; nature and sickness / Debate it at their leisure. Welcome, count; / My son's no dearer."

"Thank your majesty," said Seto/Bertram.

_Why the hell was I even on stage?_ thought Marik as they all left the stage while the trumpets from the orchestra pit sounded again.

* * *

_**Domino Theatre (Backstage)**_

"Guys? What's the point of being on stage when we don't even have any lines?" asked Duke.

"Well, in the previous scene, Lafeu leaves with Bertram and Parolles follows since he is a follower of Bertram. It would make no sense for them to not appear if they travelled together in one scene and disappeared in the next. They are essential for building Bertram's character and disposition. Bertram is of a high rank in society and the King questions him about the famed healer Gerard de Narbon since his father knew him. The King appears to confide greatly in Bertram and is trusting of him. He welcomes Bertram openly, thus adding to Bertram's high standing in society," answered Ryou.

"Hey, everyone! One more scene to go and then we're done for the day! Then it's time to duel!" exclaimed Yugi, coming out of nowhere.

"Yeah. That sounds great Yugi," replied Joey, a fake smile on his face. "Let's get on with the show!" No one could see that his smile wasn't real…except for Seto. Making up his mind, the brunet decided that after the upcoming scene, he would make things right with Joey.

* * *

_**Seto's POV**_

He looks so distant, so broken. And it's all my fault. Why do I keep doing this to him? Why do I keep hurting him? Why do I keep pushing him away? Can't he see that I don't mean it? I swear I will make it up to you, Joey. After this next scene, I will make things right. After this next scene, I'll end this.

* * *

_**Joey's POV**_

He looks so cold, so emotionless. How could I ever think he'd like someone like me? A mutt. I do nothin' but anger him and hurt the ones I love. I can't do anythin' right. How can I be a guardian for Serenity and Mokuba if I can't even take care of myself? I…don't think…I can take this anymore. After this next scene, I will make things right. After this next scene I'll end this.

* * *

_**Domino Theatre (Onstage)**_

_Act I, Scene III – Rousillon – The Count's Palace_

Yugi (the Countess), the Steward, and Bakura (the Clown, Lavache) came onto the stage.

"I will now hear; what say you of this gentlewoman?" asked Yugi/Countess.

"Madam, the care I have had to even your content, I / wish might be found in the calendar of my past / endeavours; for then we wound our modesty and make / foul the clearness of our deservings, when of / ourselves we publish them," answered the Steward.

"What does this knave here? Get you gone, sirrah: / the complaints I have heard of you I do not all / believe: 'tis my slowness that I do not; for I know / you lack not folly to commit them, and have ability / enough to make such knaveries yours," said Yugi/Countess.

Bakura approached Yugi looking angry because of his role. "'Tis not unknown to you, madam, I am a poor fellow."

"Well, sir."

"No, madam, 'tis not so well that I am poor, though / many of the rich are damned: but, if I may have / your ladyship's good will to go to the world, Isbel / the woman and I will do as we may."

"Wilt thou needs be a beggar?" asked Yugi/Countess.

Bakura crossed his arms and growled, "I do beg your good will in this case."

"In what case?"

"In Isbel's case and mine own. Service is no / heritage: and I think I shall never have the / blessing of God till I have issue o' my body; for / they say barnes (that means children, you insolent fools)," Bakura/Lavache barked, addressing the audience directly, "are blessings."

Yugi glared at Bakura, "Stop that," he hissed. Yugi didn't look very threatening in a dress, not that he looked threatening without one, either. "Tell me thy reason why thou wilt marry."

_This is so stupid_, thought Bakura. "My poor body, madam, requires it: I am driven on / by the flesh; and he must needs go that the devil drives."

"Is this all your worship's reason?" asked Yugi/Countess.

"Faith, madam, I have other holy reasons such as they / are."

"May the world know them?"

"I have been, madam, a wicked creature," (_I wish I had my Man-Eater Bug)_, "as you and /  
all flesh and blood are; and, indeed, I do marry / that I may repent."

"Thy marriage, sooner than thy wickedness."

"I am out o' friends, madam; and I hope to have / friends for my wife's sake." _My Ryou's more like._

"Such friends are thine enemies, knave," gulped Yugi. He really didn't want to call Bakura a knave again, but he didn't have much of a choice.

Bakura growled menacingly and took a threatening step toward Yugi. "Bakura, behave! Or no sex for a month," hissed Ryou from behind the curtain.

_Damn, _thought Bakura. "You're shallow, madam, in great friends; for the / knaves come to do that for me which I am aweary of. / He that ears my land spares my team and gives me / leave to in the crop; if I be his cuckold, he's my / drudge: he that comforts my wife is the cherisher / of my flesh and blood; he that cherishes my flesh / and blood loves my flesh and blood; he that loves my / flesh and blood is my friend: ergo, he that kisses / my wife is my friend. If men could be contented to / be what they are, there were no fear in marriage; / for young Charbon the Puritan and old Poysam the / Papist, howsome'er their hearts are severed in / religion, their heads are both one; they may jowl / horns together, like any deer I' the herd." All the talk about flesh and blood was starting to make Bakura bloodthirsty for a certain, stupid teacher.

"Wilt thou ever be a foul-mouthed and calumnious knave?" asked Yugi/Countess.

"A prophet I, madam; and I speak the truth the next / way: / For I the ballad will repeat, / Which men full true shall find; / Your marriage comes by destiny, / Your cuckoo sings by kind."

"Get you gone, sir; I'll talk with you more anon."

The Steward stepped forth, saying, "May it please you, madam, that he bid Helen come to / you: of her I am to speak."

"Sirrah, tell my gentlewoman I would speak with her; / Helen, I mean," said Yugi/Countess.

"Was this fair face the cause, quoth she, / Why the Grecians sacked Troy? / Fond done, done fond, / Was this King Priam's joy? / With that she sighed as she stood, / With that she sighed as she stood, / And gave this sentence then; / Among nine bad if one be good, / Among nine bad if one be good, / Ther''s yet one good in ten," said Bakura/Lavache.

"What, one good in ten? you corrupt the song, sirrah," replied Yugi/Countess.

"One good woman in ten, madam; which is a purifying / o' the song: would God would serve the world so all / the year! we'ld find no fault with the tithe-woman, / if I were the parson. One in ten, quoth a'! An we / might have a good woman born but one every blazing / star, or at an earthquake, 'twould mend the lottery / well: a man may draw his heart out, ere a' pluck / one."

"You'll be gone, sir knave, and do as I command you."

"That man should be at woman's command, and yet no / hurt done! Though honesty be no puritan, yet it / will do no hurt; it will wear the surplice of / humility over the black gown of a big heart. I am / going, forsooth: the business is for Helen to come hither." With that said, Bakura/Lavache left the stage, leaving Yugi/Countess and the Steward onstage.

"Well, now," said Yugi/Countess.

"I know, madam, you love your gentlewoman entirely," replied the Steward.

"Faith, I do: her father bequeathed her to me; and / she herself, without other advantage, may lawfully / make title to as much love as she finds: there is / more owing her than is paid; and more shall be paid / her than she'll demand."

"Madam, I was very late more near her than I think / she wished me: alone she was, and did communicate / to herself her own words to her own ears; she / thought, I dare vow for her, they touched not any / stranger sense. Her matter was, she loved your son: / Fortune, she said, was no goddess, that had put / such difference betwixt their two estates; Love no / god, that would not extend his might, only where / qualities were level; Dian no queen of virgins, that / would suffer her poor knight surprised, without / rescue in the first assault or ransom afterward. / This she delivered in the most bitter touch of / sorrow that e'er I heard virgin exclaim in: which I / held my duty speedily to acquaint you withal; / sithence, in the loss that may happen, it concerns  
you something to know it."

"You have discharged this honestly; keep it to / yourself: many likelihoods informed me of this / before, which hung so tottering in the balance that / I could neither believe nor misdoubt. Pray you, / leave me: stall this in your bosom; and I thank you / for your honest care: I will speak with you further anon."

The Steward left the stage while Joey/Helena came on.

Yugi/Countess continued, saying, "Even so it was with me when I was young: / If ever we are nature's, these are ours; this thorn / Doth to our rose of youth rightly belong; / Our blood to us, this to our blood is born; / It is the show and seal of nature's truth, / Where love's strong passion is impress'd in youth: / By our remembrances of days foregone, / Such were our faults, or then we thought them none. / Her eye is sick on't: I observe her now."

"What is your pleasure, madam?" asked Joey/Helena politely.

"You know, Helen, / I am a mother to you."

"Mine honourable mistress."

"Nay, a mother: / Why not a mother? When I said 'a mother,' / Methought you saw a serpent: what's in 'mother,' / That you start at it? I say, I am your mother; / And put you in the catalogue of those / That were enwombed mine: 'tis often seen / Adoption strives with nature and choice breeds / A native slip to us from foreign seeds: / You ne'er oppress'd me with a mother's groan, / Yet I express to you a mother's care: / God's mercy, maiden! does it curd thy blood / To say I am thy mother? What's the matter, / That this distemper'd messenger of wet, / The many-colour'd Iris, rounds thine eye? / Why? that you are my daughter?"

"That I am not," Joey/Helena said firmly.

"I say, I am your mother."

"Pardon, madam; / The Count Rousillon cannot be my brother: / I am from humble, he from honour'd name; / No note upon my parents, his all noble: / My master, my dear lord he is; and I  
His servant live, and will his vassal die: / He must not be my brother." _Seto's probably getting' a real kick out of this. Me calling him my master._

"Nor I your mother?"

"Ya are my mother, madam; would ya were,- / So that my lord your son were not my brother,- / Indeed my mother! or were ya both our mothers, / I care no more for than I do for heaven, / So I were not his sister. Can't no other, / But, I your daughter, he must be my brother?"

"Yes, Helen, you might be my daughter-in-law: / God shield you mean it not! daughter and mother / So strive upon your pulse. What, pale again? / My fear hath catch'd your fondness: now I see / The mystery of your loneliness, and find / Your salt tears' head: now to all sense 'tis gross / You love my son; invention is ashamed, / Against the proclamation of thy passion, / To say thou dost not: therefore tell me true; / But tell me then, 'tis so; for, look thy cheeks / Confess it, th' one to th' other; and thine eyes / See it so grossly shown in thy behaviors / That in their kind they speak it: only sin / And hellish obstinacy tie thy tongue, / That truth should be suspected. Speak, is't so? / If it be so, you have wound a goodly clew; / If it be not, forswear't: howe'er, I charge thee, / As heaven shall work in me for thine avail, / Tell me truly."

"Good madam, pardon me!"

"Do you love my son?"

"Your pardon, noble mistress!" Joey/Helena said, turning away.

"Love you my son?" Yugi/Countess urged.

Joey/Helena stood there for a moment as if thinking. "Do not ya love him, madam?" he said quietly, turning back toward Yugi/Countess.

"Go not about; my love hath in't a bond, / Whereof the world takes note: come, come, disclose / The state of your affection; for your passions / Have to the full appeach'd."

Joey/Helena looked at Yugi/Countess in the eyes and declared desperately, "Then, I confess, / Here on my knee, before high heaven and ya, / That before ya, and next unto high heaven, / I love your son."

He paused, letting the words sink in to all who heard him. "My friends were poor, but honest; so's my love: / Be not offended; for it hurts not him / That he is loved of me: I follow him not / By any token of presumptuous suit; / Nor would I have him till I do deserve him; / Yet never know how that desert should be. / I know I love in vain, strive against hope; / Yet in this captious and intenible sieve / I still pour in the waters of my love / And lack not to lose still: thus, Indian-like, / Religious in mine error, I adore / The sun, that looks upon his worshipper, / But knows of him no more. My dearest madam, / Let not your hate encounter with my love / For lovin' where you do: but if yourself, / Whose aged honour cites a virtuous youth, / Did ever in so true a flame of liking / Wish chastely and love dearly, that your Dian / Was both herself and love: O, then, give pity / To her, whose state is such that cannot choose / But lend and give where she is sure to lose; / That seeks not to find that her search implies, / But riddle-like lives sweetly where she dies!"

Joey seemed to speak so earnestly, so sincerely, that Yugi's eyes started to fill with tears. He sounded so convinced that he'd lost all hope.

"Had you not lately an intent,-speak truly,- / To go to Paris?" asked Yugi/Countess, voice cracking slightly.

"Madam, I had."

"Wherefore? tell true."

"I will tell truth; by grace itself I swear. / You know my father left me some prescriptions / Of rare and proved effects, such as his readin' / And manifest experience had collected / For general sovereignty; and that he will'd me / In heedfull'st reservation to bestow them, / As notes whose faculties inclusive were / More than they were in note: amongst the rest, / There is a remedy, approved, set down, / To cure the desperate languishin's whereof / The king is render'd lost."

"This was your motive / For Paris, was it? speak."

Joey/Helena smiled slightly and looked away. "My lord your son made me to think of this; / Else Paris and the medicine and the king / Had from the conversation of my thoughts / Haply been absent then."

"But think you, Helen, / If you should tender your supposed aid, / He would receive it? he and his physicians / Are of a mind; he, that they cannot help him, / They, that they cannot help: how shall they credit / A poor unlearned virgin, when the schools, / Embowell'd of their doctrine, have left off / The danger to itself?" questioned Yugi/Countess.

"There's somethin' in't, / More than my father's skill, which was the greatest / Of his profession, that his good receipt / Shall for my legacy be sanctified / By the luckiest stars in heaven: and, would your honour / But give me leave to try success, I'ld venture / The well-lost life of mine on his grace's cure / By such a day and hour," replied Joey/Helena.

"Dost thou believe't?"

Joey/Helena looked back at Yugi/Countess. "Ay, madam, knowin'ly."

"Why, Helen, thou shalt have my leave and love, / Means and attendants and my loving greetings / To those of mine in court: I'll stay at home / And pray God's blessing into thy attempt: / Be gone to-morrow; and be sure of this, / What I can help thee to thou shalt not miss."

With that, both Joey/Helena and Yugi/Countess left the stage and loud applause sounded in the theatre.

* * *

_**Domino Theatre (Backstage)**_

"Geez, Joey. You were awesome. I never knew you could really get into character like that," commented Tea.

Joey glanced at her blankly.

"Yeah, Joey. You were fantastic!" said Duke.

"I agree," said Ryou, "You even made Yugi cry."

"I didn't cry! Well…barely. You were really great, Joey."

Joey sighed and looked down at the floor. He seemed disheartened. "I'm gonna go change. Excuse me," he said quietly. He left.

"What was that all about?" asked Tristan.

"I don't know," replied Yugi. _I really wish I did._

"Can someone please explain this damn play?" interrupted Bakura. Everyone looked momentarily stunned. Bakura had just said 'please.' "I didn't understand a damn thing I was saying."

"Oh…umm…okay," Ryou responded. To him, Bakura had just earned some _major_ brownie points for saying 'please' for once. "Well…um…the Steward and Lavache the Clown go to speak with the Countess. Lavache asks her for permission to marry because he is…well…um-"

"Horny," interrupted Duke.

"Well, that's one way of putting it," mumbled Ryou. Duke was actually right, though. "Anyway, the Countess is irritated with him and asks him to leave. The Steward then tells the Countess that he heard Helena speak about loving Bertram, so she sends him away, asking him to keep that bit of knowledge to himself. Helena arrives and the Countess comments on how she looks lovesick. The Countess wants Helena to confide in her like a daughter would a mother but she protests. Helena says that she cannot see herself as the Countess's daughter because that would make her Bertram's sister. She doesn't want this because Helena has more than brotherly feelings for him. The Countess then realizes why Helena appears so lonely and cries so often. Helena begs for forgiveness for feeling this way about her son but the Countess is not upset. In fact, she approves. The Countess then gives Helena permission to go to Paris with the cure for the King, even though it is also because Bertram's headed there," said Ryou.

He looked at Bakura and noticed that he had an odd look on his face. He stepped up to Ryou and grabbed him about the waist.

"I got lost at horny," he growled as he dragged a very embarrassed Ryou out of the theatre.

"I didn't see that coming," said Duke. Tristan and Tea rolled their eyes.

* * *

Joey tried to get to his dressing room as quickly as possible. Why did he feel so…depressed? _Is it because I felt every line I spoke truly?_ he thought. _I really do love Seto…don't I? _He kept thinking until he bumped into something. Tripping over his skirts, Joey yelped as he felt himself falling toward the floor. He closed his eyes for the impact.

But it never came.

Two strong arms held his own, preventing him from falling to the floor. Joey apprehensively opened his eyes, only to see startling blue ones.

"Careful, Mutt," said Seto quietly.

_Does Seto actually care?_ Joey thought, a small glimmer of hope flashing through his eyes.

"We wouldn't want you to destroy that costume now would we?" he continued with a smirk.

_I guess not_, Joey thought glumly, the small flare of hope extinguishing itself, only to be replaced with despair. He sighed again and looked away. "Whatever. Just let me go so I can change," he said softly, avoiding eye-contact.

Seto let him go and watched as Joey left for the dressing room. That was strange. It was so unlike Joey to take an insult and just walk away. Where was the retaliation? The fire in his eyes? Seto was confused and…worried.

Something was wrong with his Mutt. Yes, _his_ mutt. And he was obviously the reason. But he was going to put an end to it. After he changed out of this ridiculous costume, of course.

* * *

_**Joey's Dressing Room**_

Joey took off the wig and threw it into the corner of the dressing room. He stared at it for a bit before moving over to the mirror to take off the make-up. Glancing at his reflection, he saw that he looked quite pale and tired. Sighing again, Joey carefully took off his shoes and stockings, his feet pounding. Next he slowly pulled off the dress. His ribs throbbed painfully as he finished undressing. He pulled on his pants, buttoned up his shirt, and put on his shoes.

Breathing hard because of the pain in his ribs, Joey wearily sat down in a chair next to the mirror. He rested his elbows on his knees and covered his face with his shaking hands.

_I don't want this anymore. _Tears started running down his face as silent sobs shook his body. _I love him so much. I love Seto so much. But he doesn't want me. It hurts! He hurts me so much! I don't want this anymore._

Joey sniffed as he brought his hands away from his face and looked into the mirror again. He saw his pained expression and grew angry. The blond drew back his fist and punched his reflection, shattering the mirror into hundreds of pieces. And then he started laughing. It was an empty, hallow laugh. And he continued laughing as he stared at the blood trickling down his hand.

His laughter gradually died down as he eyed a long, sharp shard from the broken mirror. Carefully picking up the shard, Joey stared at it. _What if I…_

He slowly placed the shard above his left wrist. Pressing down on the skin, he-

"Don't."

Joey's head shot up at the demanding voice. He glanced around the dressing room. No one was there. Maybe...he was hearing things. All the more reason to end this. He pressed the shard down on his wrist again.

"_Don't_."

Joey stopped. This time it sounded more forceful. He looked around the room again. Where was the disembodied voice coming from?

"I have to," he said hopelessly, not sure if the voice he was talking to was real or not. He quickly pressed the shard to his wrist a third time.

"DON'T!"

Joey jerked his hand away, nicking his wrist as he shot up from the chair.

"Who's there?" Silence. "Who's there?" he screamed. And then he started crying. He was losing it. That was the only explanation. Joey dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face once again. "I have to do this. I can't do this anymore," he declared one last time, pressing the shard down on his wrist to make the deep cut that would end his life.

But another hand firmly gripped his wrist and pulled it away from his exposed arm. Joey grew hysterical as he fought the strong grip, but another hand seized his other wrist.

"Let me go! Let me go! I have to do this!" Joey shouted, struggling against the hands around his wrists. He quickly grew exhausted and dropped the shard. The person holding his wrists kicked it to the other side of the room and Joey felt himself look up against his will, only to meet terrified blue eyes.

Joey's eyes filled with more tears as he weakly fought against Seto's grip. But he soon surrendered.

Sensing that he'd given up for now, Seto sat on the floor and pulled Joey into his lap, wrapping his arms around the blond's trembling body protectively. "Joey, what are you doing?" Seto said quietly. He was in shock. Never, in his entire life, had he expected to see his Mutt on the floor, preparing to slit his wrists. Had he done this to him? "Talk to me," he urged. But Joey didn't answer. He just sat there in Seto's lap, his back pressed against his chest.

"Joey, please talk to me." Seto tightened his grip around him.

The blond yelped in pain and tried to get away. Seto let him go, alarmed. He didn't do anything, did he? Unless…

Joey pressed himself up against the wall, far from Seto. He looked at him like he expected the brunet to attack or something. The closer Seto got, the more Joey pressed himself up against the wall, whimpering in either pain or fright. Maybe it was a little bit of both.

"Joey? Joey, it's okay." Seto felt like he was trying to comfort a wounded animal. "It's okay. It's Seto." Recognition seemed to dawn in Joey's glazed eyes.

"Seto?" he said timidly.

"Yes, it's Seto." He took that time to walk up to Joey and he hesitantly reached out to touch the blond's chest. He whimpered at the contact. Seto braced himself as he started to unbutton Joey's shirt so that he could see the extent of his injuries, but the blond's hands stopped his.

"No," Joey said, his eyes looking wild again.

"Joey, please let me see. I need to see where you're hurt," Seto pleaded. _Please don't let it be what I think it is. _He tried unbuttoning his shirt again.

"No," Joey said helplessly, but he didn't fight this time as Seto unbuttoned his shirt.

Seto gasped when he saw the giant bruise on Joey's torso. It seemed to be every shade possible. His ribs looked the worst; they were red and purple, the outsides of his ribs were covered in purple and blue bruises with hints of yellow and green apparent.

_Who did this to you? Someone's been hurting you for awhile. Someone's been abusing you. Who? Who's been hurting you? _He noticed a few scars on the sides of Joey's ribs. W_hen did he get so skinny…and frail? Was he always like this? _Seto felt up Joey's ribs. Nothing appeared broken. That was good at least. He slowly buttoned the blond's shirt, a pained expression on his face.

"I'm going to take you back home and take care of you. Okay?" Seto searched Joey's guarded eyes.

The blond looked at him in disbelief. "No. You're gonna hurt me."

Seto was surprised by Joey's words. "I'm not going to hurt you," he replied slowly.

"Yes, ya are," Joey insisted. "Ya always hurt me. You're gonna hurt me again."

"I won-"

"Yes, ya will!" he cried out agonizingly. "Why do ya hurt me? Ya always insult me. Ya make empty promises. Ya say that ya care, but you lie! Why do ya lie? Ya don't care. Ya hate me. I never do anythin' right. No matter what I do, ya hate me. I make ya mad. Everyone's better off without me. No one needs me," Joey rambled. He grew breathlessly hysterical with every word.

Seto didn't know what to do. Part of what Joey said was true, but Seto didn't mean to hurt him. "I'm sorry. I know I've said this before, but I'm sorry. I don't know why I keep hurting you…pushing you away. I don't. But I really am sorry." At this point a tear finally escaped and rolled down Seto's cheek.

Joey saw it. And hesitantly wiped it away. He looked into Seto's eyes and just stared. For a while, they just stared at each other in silence.

"Go with him."

Joey jerked away from Seto. It was that voice again. Seto watched as Joey searched the room frantically for something.

"Joey? What are you doing?" he asked confusedly.

"Didn't ya hear it?" Joey inquired, looking distressed.

"Hear what?"

"The voice! It's talkin' again!" At this point Seto was utterly frightened. He hadn't heard a voice. Or _anything_, for that matter. What was wrong with his Puppy?

"Just go with him."

"There! Did ya hear it?" Joey cried.

"I…didn't hear anything, Joey," Seto responded slowly. He honestly didn't hear a thing.

Joey grew anxious. "No! Ya had to hear it! Ya had to!" He looked so helpless. "Dammit! Where are ya?" Joey started throwing things about the room, searching for the source of the voice.

Seto rushed over to Joey and pulled him into a firm hug, drawing the blond's head toward his chest.

"Why can't ya hear it? I heard it," Joey mumbled over and over again in Seto's chest.

_Why is he hearing voices? What the hell happened to him? Did I make this happen? _"What…did the voice say?" How else was he supposed to respond?

"Ya don't believe me. Ya won't believe me." Joey continued to mumble.

Seto sighed and closed his eyes. "I do believe you. Now, what did the voice say?"

"It…it told me not to cut myself. And then…just now…it said to go with ya."

_That seems strange. Don't voices usually tell people to harm themselves? Maybe he's hearing things due to exhaustion. That's got to be it. _Seto sounded convinced in his head. "Puppy, I'm going to take you home now."

"Puppy?" Joey sounded dumbfounded.

"Yes…Puppy. I need you to trust me. Everything is going to be fine. I'm sorry for what I've put you through." _I hope he knows that I mean this._

"I…can't accept…your apology," whispered Joey. "I don't think…I trust ya...anymore." Seto looked heartbroken. "But…I'm willin' to give ya a chance. Ya said ya believed me?" Seto nodded in response. "Then I'll let ya…get to know me…but only if ya open yourself up to me, too. This…can't be one-sided, Seto." _I'll do anythin' to make the voice go away. I need it to go away. Am I losin' my mind?_

Seto seemed contemplative. He'd never told anyone about himself, his past included. But if that was what it took to get his Puppy safe and sane, then that's exactly what he'd do. "All right. I'll be honest with you, but you need to be honest with me, too. Are we agreed?"

"Agreed," Joey said hesitantly. He dropped his gaze and looked as his hands, now crusted in blood.

Seto looked at them, too. He took Joey's hands in his own and gently caressed his knuckles. "I'm going to take you home, fix you up, and we'll talk. You will be staying in my room so that I can keep an eye on you."

"Bu-"

"In order for you to take care of Serenity and Matt, we need to get you to start taking care of yourself…the way I care about you," Seto said softly. Joey jerked his head up in surprise, only to see Seto's head descend and plant a light kiss on his forehead; they both blushed slightly. Seto cleared his throat. "Let's get you home."

Seto placed his hand in Joey's and gently led him out of the dressing room, but as they were leaving, Joey saw something out of the corner of his eye. Quickly, he turned his head, only to see something dark fade into the shadows.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 10**

"Wait," Joey said as he tugged on Seto's hand, urging him to stop. "I think I saw somethin'." Seto turned to see him staring intently at a darkened corner of the room.

"What did you see?" Seto responded, following his Puppy to the corner. Joey moved stuff around, but he couldn't find anything. Frustrated, he kicked at the objects in the corner. "Joey, stop."

"I saw somethin'. I know I saw somethin'," he muttered forcefully, more to himself than the brunet.

If Seto was worried before, he didn't know what to classify himself as now. First, it was voices. Now, Joey was seeing things? It had to be due to exhaustion from the past few days, right?

"Puppy, I don't see anything. Come on. You need to get some rest." Seto gently pulled him away from the corner of the room and all the blond could do was stare at it in bewilderment.

He turned to face Seto, fear clearly evident in his eyes. In a quiet voice, he said, "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing. There's nothing wrong with you." Seto wasn't sure if he was trying to convince himself of that or Joey. "You're just worn out from the events of the past few days. You've gone through a lot. You need rest."

"I don't think that's it," Joey said weakly, averting his eyes. "I heard a voice that ya didn't hear…and I saw somethin' ya didn't see. How can somethin' not be wrong with me?" He looked back up, this time appearing vulnerable and utterly helpless. Seto was at a loss for words.

"I…" began Seto, but he stopped. He didn't know what to say. Instead, he pulled the blond into his arms and gently stroked his back.

Joey gripped Seto's shirt like a lifeline; he was absolutely terrified by the fact that he was hearing a voice and seeing things. But maybe…Seto was right. He hadn't been eating or sleeping very well for the past few days. After everything that had happened, perhaps he was just hallucinating from fatigue. Yes. That had to be it. He took a deep breath to calm himself, only to cry out in pain.

Seto jumped upon hearing the blond yelp. "Joey?" he said, alarmed.

Joey was struggling to breathe. He kept gasping for air while clawing at Seto's shirt.

"Joey? What's wrong?"

"My chest…h-hurts…" he wheezed. "Can't breathe." Joey started to panic as he fought to breathe. He felt slightly dizzy and nauseous as well.

"Joey. Listen to me," Seto said, guiding the blond's face to meet his eyes. "You need to calm down. You need to try and slow your breathing. Can you do that?"

"I-I-"

Seto quickly pulled Joey against him. "Can you feel my heartbeat? Concentrate on my heartbeat. Try and match your breathing with mine," the brunet said calmly, making soothing sounds to ease Joey. He firmly rubbed his back to coax the blond into relaxing.

He could feel Seto's heart; he could feel it pounding against his chest. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the feel of the brunet's steady breathing, trying to get himself under control. After what seemed like forever, Joey finally matched his breathing with Seto's.

"That's it. You're doing fine, Joey. You're doing fine." He cradled Joey in his arms and rested his chin on top of the blond's head. "Are you okay now?"

"I think so. I don't feel so good. I'm cold," he mumbled, closing his eyes.

Seto pulled away, making Joey's eyes pop open. He wobbled a bit as the brunet placed a hand on his forehead. His hands travelled down his arms until they reached his hands. "You're freezing," he said, taking off his trench coat and wrapping it around Joey securely. He lifted him bridal style and carried him out of the dressing room.

"Where the hell is everyone?" he grumbled as his eyes swept the entire backstage. He glanced back down at Joey. His eyes were closed…but he was breathing steadily. He needed to get him some medical attention. Soon.

Seto picked up his pace and sped toward the exit of the theatre. He kicked the door open with one thrust of his leg and quickly stepped outside. It seemed like everyone was waiting for their rides back to the mansion. No one noticed them. His eyes panned the crowd.

"Mokuba!"

Said boy turned at the sound of his brother's voice and paled at the sight of Joey in Seto's arms. Matt and Serenity noticed his expression and turned as well. Serenity gasped, soon getting everyone's attention.

Mokuba ran over to his brother. "What happened?" he shrieked. At this point, Seto wasn't sure how much to reveal just yet. He didn't want to scare everyone. That and he wasn't even sure what was going on himself.

"I'm not sure. I need you to get my doctor on the phone. Now. Tell him to meet us at the mansion. We need to get there as soon as possible," he replied, trying hard to keep the panic out of his voice.

"Okay, Seto." He looked at his brother uneasily. He'd never seen his brother look this troubled before. Something serious had to be going on in order for him to react this way.

"What happened to Joey?" screeched Serenity and Yugi at the same time. They were terrified.

"Later! I need to get him home now!" Seto urged, pushing past them to get to his limo.

Mokuba got off his cell phone and raced after them. "He's on his way now," gasped Mokuba.

"How soon?" asked Seto.

"Fifteen minutes."

Seto nodded and climbed into the limo with Joey. Mokuba got in after him, followed by Matt, and Serenity. Soon, the limo started up and quickly left for the Kaiba Mansion.

Serenity regarded Seto and her brother warily. "Seto? What happened?" She'd never seen her brother like this before and Seto's anxious expression wasn't helping the situation either. Seto remained quiet as he looked out the window at the passing scenery. "Seto?"

He sighed and faced the three pairs of eyes that seemed to bore holes into his very soul. _What do I tell them? I don't want them to worry, but if something is wrong, they'll have to know anyway. It might be best to tell them the truth. Why does this have to be so hard? _

"I went to Joey's dressing room after the final scene to talk to him. I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier." He paused and took a deep breath. "When I got there, he was on the floor…on his knees. He had a shard of glass in his hand. He was about to hurt himself," he said.

Serenity brought her hands to her face, covering her mouth.

"I ran over to him and got the glass out of his hand and tried to calm him down. Then I discovered he was hurt elsewhere. Then he said that he was hearing voices and he saw something, but nothing was there," Seto continued desperately. "I got him to calm down again and then I think he had a minor panic attack. I'm not sure. After he started to breathe normally again, he said that he was cold. That's when I brought him outside."

No one said a word, but Serenity's face held an odd look. She glanced at her older brother and appeared almost contemplative. Her eyes wavered a bit as worry took over when she heard her brother whimper in his unconscious state. _What's going on with you big brother? What did you do to yourself? And why-wait…voices? _Recognition seemed to dawn in Serenity's eyes.

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion**_

"I'm taking him up to my room. Let me know when the doctor arrives," said Seto as he raced up the stairs. They'd been the first ones to reach at the mansion.

"Wha-" Mokuba cut himself off when he saw Serenity storm off toward the living room. "Serenity?" She didn't seem to hear him.

She entered the living room and started pulling things out of Joey's bag.

"Serenity, what are you doing?" asked Matt. She looked a bit wild tossing objects all over the place.

"Where is it?" she exclaimed.

"Where's what?" asked Tristan. The others had arrived.

"I can't find it! This doesn't make any sense. He always keeps it with him," she muttered to herself.

"Keeps what with him?" inquired Yugi.

"His-"

"Where is Mr. Kaiba?" Everyone spun around at the sound of a deep voice. It was an older man with graying hair who looked to be in his late forties or early fifties. He had a kind yet serious expression on his face.

"Oh! Dr. Hiroshi! Come with me!" Mokuba called, leading the doctor in the direction Seto had gone. Serenity stared after them.

"Serenity? What can't you find?" urged Matt, tugging on his sister's sleeve. She looked down.

"Where's Joey's room?"

"I don't know. Mokuba probably does. Why?"

"Come on," she said. "Let's go find Mokuba," said Serenity. Both she and Matt headed for the stairs.

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion (Seto's Bedroom)**_

Seto removed his trench coat from Joey as he gently laid him on the bed, causing the blond to open his eyes. As his vision cleared, he noticed Seto staring at him intently. "Hey," Joey said softly.

"Hey," Seto replied. "How are you feeling?" He pushed Joey's hair out of his face.

"Tired," he responded ruefully. The blond forced a small smile on his face. "I'm fine."

At this, Seto got angry. "You are _not_ fine," he said forcefully. "You had me worried sick! Just what were you doing in there? Why were you trying to cut yourself?" Joey cringed at Seto's harsh tone.

Growing upset with himself, he replied, "I don't know. I wasn't thinkin'-"

"Damn straight, you weren't thinking!" Seto lashed out. He started pacing the room. "Do you know what you've put everyone through?" The brunet reared on Joey and glared at him full force.

The blond attempted to get up from the bed, but Seto roughly pushed him back down, pinning him to the bed by straddling his hips, arms held above his head. He struggled against him, but he was too weak to break free.

Then he started crying softly. "Please l-let me go. I won't be b-bad again. Just please don't h-hit me," he gasped.

_Hit you?_ Seto quickly let go of Joey's wrists and leaned back so that he could sit up. Joey's eyes had become glazed again, like he wasn't really there or sure where he was. "Joey? You weren't bad."

"I…wasn't?" the blond asked skeptically.

"No. You weren't. I just got…carried away. You scared me."

"But that means I was bad. I was bad," he insisted.

"Joey. You-"

"Yes, I was!" he implored. "Are ya gonna p-punish me now?"

Seto was thoroughly perplexed by this point. _Why would he think I would punish him?_ _He seems like he's not…completely here. There's only one way to find out. _"Joey. Do you know who I am?" Seto was afraid of the answer, but he had to ask to make sure.

Joey was momentarily confused. "Who ya are?" he repeated softly. "You're…" Joey's ruby eyes seemed to focus on Seto's sapphire ones, as if trying to reassemble his thoughts. "You're…" He sighed in irritation as he continued staring at him. "You're…Seto." His vision seemed to clear. "Seto…"

_What the hell is going on with him? It's like he's zoning in and out of reality or something. _"Yes, it's Seto. Do you know where you are?"

Joey glanced around the room. "Your room?" He hesitated in his response, afraid that he might be wrong.

"Yes. That's right. You're in my room. Do you remember what happened? Or how you got here?" Seto was curious as to how he would respond.

"I'm not sure," Joey replied, looking scared. "What's happenin' to me?" he asked quietly.

"I-" He was interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

"Mr. Kaiba? It's Dr. Hiroshi," a voice called from the door.

Seto got up from the bed and opened the door. "Come in."

"So-" Dr. Hiroshi cut himself off when he noticed Joey. He seemed to be in temporary shock. Recovering himself, he said, "This is the patient?" Seto nodded as he closed the door back. "And what…seems to be the problem?"

"I found him trying to slit his wrists. And he also has a large bruise on his chest. Then he said he was hearing voices and seeing things. And I think he may have had a small panic attack as well. I tried calming him down and then he said he didn't feel well; he felt cold."

"All right." Dr. Hiroshi placed his bag down on the bedside table. "I need you to step out so that I can give him a thorough exam. I'll let you know what I find and what you can do when I'm finished."

Seto was reluctant to leave at first but gave in. He nodded and turned to leave. "Seto?" Joey's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Don't go." Seto walked back over to Joey.

"It's all right. You can trust him. He's been my doctor for years. Dr. Hiroshi is the best and he's going to help you. Okay?"

"Okay," Joey said quietly. "But you'll come back, right?"

"Yes. I'll come back," he replied, running his fingers through Joey's hair. "You'll be fine."

Seto left the room and closed the door softly behind him. He leaned back against the door and sighed, rubbing his temples in concern. _Please let my Puppy be okay. What could have triggered these…episodes he's been having? _

He moved away from the door and started walking away when something caught his eye. Joey's bedroom door was open. He made for the open door, only to see Matt, Mokuba, and Serenity scouring the room. "What are you three doing in here?" he demanded. The three of them jumped straight into the air.

"His duffel bag," said Mokuba as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Seto quickly spotted it; the bag was barely visible from under the bed. He stepped toward it and pulled it out.

"You mean this?"

"You found it!" Serenity exclaimed, reaching for her brother's duffel bag, but Seto pulled it out of her reach. "Hey! Give it to me!"

"Why?" Seto asked. He was confused and intrigued by Serenity's insistence in obtaining the duffel bag.

"Just give it to me."

"I want the three of you downstairs in the living room now." His voice left no room for argument. "We need to talk."

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion (Living Room)**_

"Get in here," ordered Seto. "Sit." Matt, Mokuba, and Serenity sat on the couch while Seto stood before them, holding the duffel bag. Yugi and the gang chose that exact moment to come over.

"Is Joey okay?" asked Yugi.

"What happened to him?" continued Tea.

"We can go see him, right?" insisted Tristan.

Seto glared at them. "Get…lost," he ground out.

"But he's our friend," asserted Yugi.

"We do have a right to know what's going on, Kaiba," persisted Yami.

Seto tightly shut his eyes and exhaled tiredly. When he opened his eyes, he looked completely drained. He faced Serenity. He needed to ask. "Is there _any_ history of mental illness in your family?"

She stared at him unsurely. "No," Serenity replied firmly.

"Are you sure? Your father? Mother?"

"No," she repeated, a little louder this time.

Seto took a deep breath. "What about Joey's mother?"

Serenity's eyes widened in surprise, but Tristan beat her in responding. "You guys don't have the same mom?"

Serenity's narrowed her eyes as she got up from the couch, turning on Tristan almost threateningly. "No. We don't. And if you _ever_ mention this to Joey, I will personally see to it that you suffer. Painfully. It's a _very_ tender subject for my brother and if you _ever_ mention it around him, I _will _hurt you. That goes for all of you. Is that understood?" Everyone gulped and nodded mutely. They'd never seen her like this before. Serenity was really, really…scary when she meant to protect her family. She turned to Seto. "No. There is no mental illness in our family. Can I have his duffel bag now?"

Seto growled in frustration. "Then why the hell is he hearing voices and seeing things? Why does he keep…zoning out?" he roared.

"Was it only one voice or multiple voices?" asked Serenity.

Seto thought for a moment. "One, I think. Why?"

Serenity sighed in relief for a minute, but then grew concerned. "Um…how did he react to hearing the voice?"

"What do you think? He freaked out when I said I couldn't hear it. He practically tore up the dressing room looking for the damn source of that voice."

Serenity looked puzzled. "He doesn't remember?" she muttered. "Why doesn't he remember?"

"Remember what?" Seto inquired.

"Did he say what the voice sounded like?" she asked.

Seto grew angry again. "No! He didn't say what the damn voice sounded like. Now, what the hell is going on?"

"Mr. Kaiba?" Dr. Hiroshi had entered the living room. "A word, please?"

Seto's anger dissipated when he saw Dr. Hiroshi. They stepped outside of the living room, but not before Seto ordered everyone to stay put. He even tossed the duffel bag to Serenity.

"Well?" Seto asked, standing just outside the doorway. He'd even closed the door so that he could have a little privacy.

"Where do you want me to begin?" Dr. Hiroshi sighed.

_What's that supposed to mean?_ "Just…tell me everything."

"I found that he has a slight bump on his head that looks to be a couple of days old. His chest is quite injured. He has no broken ribs, but they are bruised. I've wrapped them and that will do until he heals. There is also some scarring around his ribs and stomach. He's also suffered a slightly twisted ankle and various scars on his back and thighs. I suspect abuse…mainly due to the fact the marks are in places you wouldn't normally see. They can easily be hidden, or covered by clothing. Other than the wound on his head, that is. The person who did this to him was quite careful." Dr. Hiroshi was livid.

_Puppy, what happened to you? _"Did he suffer from trauma or something when he was hit on the head?"

"No. Nothing is wrong with him. He hasn't been harmed severely enough to warrant trauma. His memory is perfectly fine. I can't say the same for the bastard who did this to him, after I get my hands on him, of course," he muttered.

"What do you mean his memory is fine?" Seto asked confusedly. But then he realized what Dr. Hiroshi had just said. "You _know_ who did this to him?"

Dr. Hiroshi was quiet for a moment before responding. "Yes," he answered quietly. "I never should have left that boy with him," he mumbled.

"What are you talking about?" demanded Seto, angry that he wasn't being told what he wanted to know.

Dr. Hiroshi quickly avoided eye contact. In a soft voice he said, "What's his name?" Dr. Hiroshi was referring to Joey.

"Joseph Wheeler. But he prefers to be called Joey," Seto responded, not sure where this was going.

"That's not the name he gave me," he insisted.

"What the hell do you mean? I was in there a few minutes ago. He knew who _I_ was."

"I'm aware of that. He remembers everything just fine."

Was he purposely trying to piss Seto off? Because if he was, Dr. Hiroshi was succeeding just fine. "Will you just tell me what's going on? Who's been hurting him? And what's all this about his name?"

Dr. Hiroshi sighed. "Joseph Wheeler is not his real name." Seto waited for him to continue, too stunned to talk. "It was changed fourteen years ago. His real name is Katsuya Jounouchi. I was his doctor then. I know him. He was in an accident…an accident that killed his mother. That poor boy was so distressed by what happened. He was hysterical, wild. Katsuya seemed to fade in and out of reality, much like he's been doing recently from what you've said. Something must have sent him over the edge again," he finished quietly.

"Wh-"

"I am not going to tell you anymore. It's his story to tell. Take care of him. And keep a close eye on him so that he doesn't hurt himself. But don't push him. His mind's in a delicate state for the time being. He's having a hard time determining what's real and what's not, but I think you'll find that everything he's experiencing, hearing, and seeing is quite real. Can I trust you with that?" It sounded like a warning.

Seto stared at him questioningly but he answered anyway. "Yes. You can trust me. I'll take care of him. Now, who's been hurting him?"

Dr. Hiroshi narrowed his eyes angrily as he growled out, "His father."

Seto's eyes widened in surprised. "His father?"

"Yes. I never should have left Katsuya alone with that man, but in case I'm wrong, ask him yourself. Will you do that? And protect him if need be?"

More questions circulated through Seto's mind, but he answered, "Yes."

Dr. Hiroshi nodded his approval. "All right then. Good night. And be careful. You need to trust him, Mr. Kaiba, even if what he's saying doesn't seem real. Trust him." He left, leaving Seto to his thoughts. He was having a hard time processing what he'd just heard.

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion (Seto's Bedroom)**_

Joey watched as Seto entered the room and walked over to him. Taking Joey's face in his hands, he forced Joey to make eye contact with him. "Are you all right?" asked Seto.

"I'm fine, Seto. My head's clear again. But I do think we need to talk. We, uh…should discuss a few things. I know you have some questions. I'll answer what I can."

"It sounds like a plan," he replied, leading Joey to the bed. They both made themselves comfortable before they started talking.

"What-" Joey was cut off by Seto's lips crushing his.

Joey froze completely and whimpered like he was scared, which was not the reaction Seto was expecting. He pulled away and looked at Joey uncertainly; it looked like the blond was on the verge of crying. What had he done wrong now? Didn't he want this like he did?

"Joey?" Seto whispered. He reached out to touch him, but he jerked away and pressed himself up against the wall even more. "Joey. I'm sorry. I thought…never mind," he muttered, backing away from him.

"No. It's not you," he said quietly. "I…I like you. I do, but…" Joey trailed off as he started to cry.

"Joey, I like you, too. Very much. This isn't a game to me. I would like to be with you…a part of your life…if you'll let me. I'm sorry I kissed you like that. I thought you wanted it, too," Seto said softly, making his way to Joey. "Do…you want to talk about?" Seto asked unsurely.

Joey sniffed and shook his head. "No." He stayed silent for a bit while Seto just stood there. "I'm not ready for anything…physical."

Seto slowly sat in front of Joey. "Puppy?" The blond raised his head at the sound of Seto's pet name for him to show that he was listening. Seto sighed deeply and prepared himself for what he was about to tell him.

"When Mokuba and I were adopted by Gozaburo, he separated us. I was ten. He locked me up in a small room with only a desk and chair. I was chained to it most of the time so that I could…_study_. It was always cold. There were no windows and I had nothing but a small lamp. Gozaburo would come in once a day to give me a slice of bread and some water for nourishment," Seto spat out.

"I stayed like that for about two years. When I turned twelve, Gozaburo started beating me because he thought I wasn't progressing fast enough. He'd rip my shirt off and hit me in the back with the buckle end of his belt." Seto's voice started to sound hoarse as he fought back tears. He looked down at his hands, his eyes reflecting the raw emotion from the memory he was about to reveal. "What I'm trying to say is that I understand."

"I see that." And he did. He understood perfectly about keeping people away, hiding things from them in order to keep them safe. "Does Mokuba know?"

"He doesn't. And I want it to stay that way."

"I understand."

"Will you tell me…you know…" Seto trailed off.

"Not now. I'm…not ready yet."

Seto nodded in understanding. "Can you tell me who?" he asked slowly.

Joey turned away from Seto to look out the window. He could see the stars glistening in the sky like diamonds. It looked so peaceful. "My father," he whispered.

"Was he also the one who gave you those scars?"

Joey appeared shocked. "Ya…saw?"

Seto shook his head. "Dr. Hiroshi did. But I did glimpse the ones on your chest. Dr. Hiroshi also said that he knew you…when you were four. He claimed that your mother died in an accident. Is that true?"

Joey sighed tiredly. "I'm not sure I remember anythin' clearly from that incident. Can we talk about this another time? I'm not ready to face my past just yet."

"All right. Another time."

"Thank ya for tellin' me about what happened to ya. I'll tell ya my story, too, when I'm ready. Please be patient with me."

"Don't worry about it. Take your time. I'm a patient man. When you're ready to talk I'll be here."

"Why did ya kiss me?"

Seto sighed. "I like you," he said earnestly. "Now, how about we get some rest. Tomorrow's a big day."

Joey was glad for the change of subject. Both he and Seto got up off the floor. "Where are you going?" Seto asked when he saw Joey head for the door.

"To my room to sleep."

"You're sleeping here. I promised that I would not let you out of my sight. I said I'd keep an eye on you."

"But…fine." He helped Seto pull down the covers. Getting into the bed, they both looked up at the ceiling.

"Joey?"

"Hm?" he responded tiredly.

"What happened to you earlier today? It seemed like you weren't all there."

"After we had our fight, I shut down. And then when ya insulted me durin' the play, I just…gave up hope, I guess. It's happened to me a few times before. But I'm over it now."

"Okay." Seto noticed him dozing off. "Joey?"

"Yes?"

"What was your sister looking for?"

Joey thought for a moment. "My sketchbook."

"Your sketchbook? I didn't know you could draw? Why was she looking for it?"

"There's a lot you don't know about me," he said mysteriously. "I draw what I see. It's somethin' my mother taught me. I think Serenity guessed that it was the reason I was hearin' voices. Ya told her I was hearin' voices, right?"

"Yes. Was she right?"

"Maybe. But everythin''s fine now."

"Can I see your drawings sometime?"

"Um…okay. But only if ya promise not to laugh at them."

"Sure," Seto replied.

"Now, can I go to sleep?"

Seto laughed at the blond's plea. "Yeah. Um…Joey?"

Joey's eyes snapped open and he glared at him. "Seto, I'm really tired and wanna go to sleep. What is it?"

"May I call you Katsuya?" Seto asked, rolling onto his side to look at him.

Joey seemed surprised. "How did ya-"

"Dr. Hiroshi told me."

"Oh," Joey said quietly. He thought about it for a moment before replying. "Yes, ya may, but only when it's just the two of us. For now."

Seto smiled. "Thank you."

Joey smiled back, slowly drifting off to sleep. When Seto heard him snoring softly, he whispered, "Good night, Katsuya…my love." Soon, Seto drifted off to sleep as well.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 11**

_**Kaiba Mansion (Seto's Bedroom)**_

Joey woke to the sun shining through the window. He stretched and yawned, laying flat on his back against the pillows. Turning his head to the left, he noticed that Seto was still asleep. Joey laughed to himself when Seto's mouth parted slightly and a light snore came out. _He's so cute like that._

Seto turned over in his sleep and was now facing Joey. Seeing Seto's peaceful face gave Joey an evil idea. He leaned over cautiously and lightly tickled the brunet's nose with his finger. Seto scrunched up his nose and wiggled it. Joey silently laughed to himself, tickling his nose once more. This time, Seto swatted at his own nose, which only made him slap himself in the face. Jolting at his own action, Seto's eyes shot open. He glared at Joey menacingly.

"What? I didn't do it!" Joey insisted, smiling playfully. His smile faded though when Seto lunged at him.

Straddling Joey's hips, Seto placed his hands on the sides of Joey's head and looked down at him with a mischievous smirk on his face. "Bad Puppy," he said. "What should I do to discipline you? Hm?"

Joey gulped. He'd never known Seto to be…playful before. "Um…how about ya let the Puppy go?" he offered innocently.

"No. I know a fitting punishment for the Puppy."

"What are ya doin'?" Joey exclaimed when he felt Seto's hands run up and down his sides. Joey started laughing uncontrollably. Seto started laughing too as he tickled his Puppy mercilessly.

"Haha…p-please s-s-stop," Joey pleaded. Seto relented and let him up. They smiled at each other. After a moment's silence, Joey said, "I was thinkin' about what ya said yesterday."

Seto's smile faded as his expression grew grim. "What about it?"

"I think we should give it a try. Us, I mean. If ya still want to, that is," he said, light pink dusting his cheeks.

Seto smirked at his blushing puppy. "Oh, I still want to," he said huskily. "And I'll give you all the time you need. There's no need to rush things. We have our whole lives ahead of us."

"Thank you, Seto," he sighed and Seto found himself with an armful of puppy. He hugged Joey back and grinned as he took in his Puppy's scent. _He smells like apples and honey._

Joey let go and leaned back. "Can ya stay still please? I want to try somethin'."

Seto raised his eyebrow at Joey's request. "Is this something going to hurt?"

"No," Joey replied, contradicting himself by lightly smacking Seto on the arm. "Just stay really still."

"Fine." Seto's eyes widened when Joey leaned in toward his face, an impish grin playing on his lips.

"Just…stay…very…still," he muttered against Seto's lips, but he didn't kiss him. Joey's lips rested against Seto's, tickling them with his breath. He slowly rubbed his lips back and forth against Seto's, eliciting a sharp intake of breath on the brunet's part.

_How the hell does he expect me not to do anything when he's teasing me like this?_ Seto exclaimed in his head. He almost groaned aloud at the loss of contact when Joey pulled away from him. He wanted the blond to kiss him, but he knew he couldn't ask that of Joey. Not yet, anyway. Looking at Joey's face, he was about to say something when he noticed the blond's eyes fixated on his lips.

Joey's eyes darted up to meet Seto's. He smirked at him, and before he could react, Joey's lips met his. He timidly moved his lips gently against Seto's. Although he was clumsy, it felt, simply put, good. He pulled back. "Ya can kiss back, ya know."

"I thought I was supposed to stay still."

"Seto," Joey whined.

"Oh. So I'm allowed to move now?" Seto questioned with a smirk.

"Jerk," Joey said before their lips met again. This time they both relaxed when Seto took over the kiss. Deciding to take it a step further, Seto gently tugged at Joey's bottom lip, nipping at it slightly with his teeth. When he heard, and felt, Joey gasp, he continued. Seto tenderly pushed his tongue into Joey's open mouth and then pulled back, looking into Joey's eyes questioningly.

Joey melted when he felt Seto prod his mouth. He was brought out of his stupor when Seto stopped. He opened his eyes. When had they closed? Seto was staring at him. _Why'd he stop? Oh. He's not sure if he should continue. Well, here's my answer._ Joey grabbed the back of Seto's head and pulled him in for another kiss.

Seto smiled when his puppy kissed him again. He felt Joey shyly prod past his lips with his tongue, trying to pry his mouth open. And he granted Joey access.

Joey was stunned when Seto opened his mouth, allowing him to explore the depths of his hot cavern. He timidly explored Seto's mouth, mapping out every crevice; he tasted like coffee. Then their tongues met in a fierce battle. They fought back and forth until Seto overpowered him, shoving his eager tongue into Joey's mouth, leaving no space untouched. Seto aggressively yet compassionately kissed him with all his might, drawing Joey's tongue back into his mouth and sucking on it fervently. When they both needed air, they broke away.

They panted as they looked at each other.

"Wow," Joey wheezed, a dark blush staining his cheeks.

"Yeah. Wow," Seto agreed in a similar manner.

"Wh-" Joey was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. Seto and Joey scrambled from the bed and tried to reassemble themselves. "Who is it?"

"It's Mokuba. I was able to contact a few cooks for hire, so we have breakfast this morning. It's ready when you are," Mokuba called from behind the closed door.

"Okay. We'll be right down," said Seto.

"Okay. See you at breakfast." They heard Mokuba leave and then they looked at each other.

Seto approached Joey and he regarded Seto uneasily. "Um, Seto?"

"Yes, Katsuya?"

Joey beamed upon hearing his real name. "Can we keep this—us—a secret for now? I really want to take things slow and I don't want to have to deal with the gang."

"I understand completely," Seto said, jerking him into a swift hug. "Let's go get some breakfast before your friends eat it all."

Joey smiled in response.

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion (Dining Room)**_

Joey and Seto reached the dining room, only to encounter a very loud squabble amongst the Yamis and their significant others. They were arguing about the play.

"It's just so pointless!" exclaimed Bakura. "Half the time I don't even know what's going on!"

"How is that any different than usual?" said Yami.

"Shut up, pharaoh! At least I can act, you pompous starfish!"

"Why you-" Yami lunged at Bakura, actually tackling him to the ground.

"Yami!" shouted Yugi.

"Bakura, no!" yelled Ryou.

"CUT IT OUT!" roared Seto. Bakura stopped in mid-punch, his fist just inches away from Yami's face. "There will be no fighting because of this stupid play. And I don't want bloodstains on my floor. So if you really want to kill each other, do it outside!"

Joey smacked Seto in the back of the head.

"What the hell was that for?" exclaimed Seto.

"Stop actin' like a jerk. No one is gonna kill anyone," insisted Joey.

"Well it's not my fault if they're acting stupid because of the play!" replied Seto.

"No. It's Mrs. Yumi's. Damn teacher!" muttered Bakura. "If I had my Shadow Powers, I'd send her to the Shadow Realm. Then we wouldn't have to do this stupid play."

"Maybe…we don't have to," Joey said slowly, looking contemplative.

"What do you mean?" asked Yugi.

"What if we, ya know, change it? We still keep the basics of the plot, but make it more modern. We'll simplify the language and-"

"Get rid of those godforsaken costumes," Seto deadpanned, cutting off Joey.

"Um…okay. So how are we gonna do this then?" asked Tristan.

"Yeah. We only have, like what, two days before the next act? And what about Mrs. Yumi?" asked Duke.

"Screw Mrs. Yumi. I think we should take matters into our own hands," said Bakura.

"Well, if we're really going to do this, where do we start?" asked Tea.

"I'll work on creating the new script. I think I can have the next act finished by tonight and we can go over it tomorrow," said Ryou. Everyone looked at him strangely.

"You seriously understand this play?" asked Tristan.

"Yes. I do."

"I'll help Ryou with the new script," said Yugi, cutting in.

"And I'll get rid of those stupid costumes," deadpanned Seto. Again.

"Ya really don't like those costumes, do ya?" asked Joey.

"No, I don't. They make me look…frilly."

"Well, I guess I'll help Kaiba with the new outfits since we both have a great taste in fashion," said Duke, resting a hand on Seto's shoulder.

"Remove yourself now before I rip your arm off and beat you with it," growled Seto.

Duke quickly removed his hand and laughed sheepishly. "Okay then."

"So. Are we going to do this?" asked Yugi.

"I'm all for it," said Bakura, grinning maliciously. "Make my part good."

"I'll…try," responded Ryou. "Um, since this play is for the Duel Monsters Charity Festival, it should have a Duel Monsters theme. Maybe the new costumes can reflect that?" he questioned.

"Hn. We'll see." Seto held his chin in thought. "But let's not worry about that now. We need to leave in a bit so that we can get to the tournament."

"Okay. So I guess we're agreed," said Joey.

They split off to grab some breakfast after they all nodded in agreement.

But then something his Joey. "Matt? Mokuba? Ya two aren't off the hook. I still expect the two of ya to clean the bathrooms. Startin' today."

"What?" exclaimed Matt.

"But I hired cooks! That's got to count for something!" cried Mokuba.

"Not really," replied Seto.

* * *

_**Domino Duel Dome (Arena)**_

"Welcome to the Domino Duel Dome!" said the overenthusiastic announcer to the excited crowd. "Today we will commence with the beginning of the tournament for the Duel Monsters Charity Festival! Will our twenty-six duelist please come down to the arena?"

All contestants stood in the middle of the arena awaiting the next statement.

"Great! Now that you're all present, we'll begin," continued the announcer. A few duelists groaned, wanting him to get on with it. "It's time to activate the computer." The announcer walked over to a large computer system with monitors on each corner of the arena. He pressed a button that brought the machine to life and selected the 'Duelist Selection' feature on the screen followed by 'Deck Selection.'

"Now, this computer will select six duelists, making a total of three duels this time. After a duelist is selected, the deck they will be using shall be announced as well," said the announcer. "Are we ready?" The duelists nodded. The announcer activated the program for the selection process.

"DUELIST NUMBER ONE...RAFAEL….DECK….ALWAYS IN THE SKY," said the computer. It made a few beeping sounds and then a slot popped open from the CPU, revealing a deck.

"Rafael! Step on up and claim your deck!" yelled the announcer. After Rafael took his deck, the computer started processing again.

"DUELIST NUMBER TWO….ODION….DECK….MEET MIST VALLEY."

"All right! So our first duel will be Rafael (Deck - Always in the Sky) vs. Odion (Deck – Meet Mist Valley). Let's give a round of applause for our competitors!"

"DUELIST NUMBER THREE….MARIK….DECK….A LIVELY ALIEN."

Bakura started laughing like a maniac when he heard the deck selected for Marik, claiming that he fit the image quite well. This earned Bakura a fist to the face.

"DUELIST NUMBER FOUR….MAKO….DECK….DESPERATE SIMORGH."

"Wonderful! Our second duel will be Marik (Deck – A Lively Alien) vs. Mako (Deck – Desperate Simorgh). Let's give them a hand!"

"DUELIST NUMBER FIVE….BANDIT KEITH….DECK….NATURAL IN NATURE."

"No machines for ya, Keith," said Joey, smirking.

"Shut up, Blondie," he replied.

"DUELIST NUMBER SIX….REBECCA HAWKINS….DECK….BABOON QUALITY."

"Eeewww! I have to duel him?" whined Rebecca.

"Fantastic! Our third and final duel of the day will be Bandit Keith (Deck – Natural in Nature) vs. Rebecca Hawkins (Deck – Baboon Quality). Give it up for our duelists!"

The audience gave a loud round of applause, whistling and cheering.

"Now. Let's have our first two duelists have at it. Rafael! Odion! Step on up!" Everyone else left the arena floor and headed toward their seats. Everyone sat down and waited for the first duel to begin.

Suddenly the floor rumbled and opened. A large platform rose from beneath the disappearing floor, securing itself between the two duelists. It was a dueling platform.

"All right duelists! Step on up!" cried the announcer. "Place your decks! You will each start out with 8000 Life Points. Let the duel begin!"

* * *

_**Duel #1 - Rafael vs. Odion**_

"I'll go first," said Odion, drawing a card. "I activate the spell card Spring of Rebirth. This allows me to increase my life points by 500 every time a monster is returned from the field to my hand. And now I play the monster card Falcon of the Mist (ATK 2000 / DEF 1200) in attack-mode. I'll place one card face-down and end my turn."

"Hn," said Rafael, drawing a card of his own. He didn't look pleased. "I place one card face-down in defense-mode and another card face-down. Make your move."

"Is that all you've got? I tribute Falcon of Mist Valley to summon Executioner of Mist Valley (ATK 2100 / DEF 1600) in attack-mode."

"I activate my trap card Spirit Barrier. While I control a monster, I take no battle damage," said Rafael. But soon his trap card returned to his hand. "What happened to my trap card?"

"When my Executioner of Mist Valley is summoned successfully, I can return all face-up spell and trap cards to their owner's hands. So, my Spring of Rebirth also returns to my hand. Now I will attack your face-down monster with Executioner of Mist Valley (ATK 2100 / DEF 1600)!"

Lighting from Odion's monster struck the face-down card, destroying it. But then Rafael began laughing.

"You've destroyed my Cloudian – Sheep Cloud (ATK 0 / DEF 0). When this monster is destroyed and sent to the graveyard as a result of battle, I'm allowed to special summon two Cloudian Tokens (ATK 0 / DEF 0) to the field in defense position."

Rafael didn't look very…intimidating with two little puffy clouds on his side of the field. Oh, well. At least his life points were safe.

"I end my turn."

"About time," said Rafael. "I now place one monster in defense-mode and end my turn."

"I will now activate the magic card Spring of Rebirth. And I summon Thunder Bird of Mist Valley (ATK 1100 / DEF 700). Thunder Bird! Attack one of his Cloudian Tokens (ATK 0 / DEF 0). Now my Executioner (ATK 2100 / DEF 1600), attack his face-down monster!" Successful with both of his attacks, Odion placed a card face-down and ended his turn.

"I tribute my last Cloudian Token to summon one monster in face-down defense position," announced Rafael, ending his turn.

"I will tribute my Executioner and Thunder Bird to summon Mist Valley Bird of Prey (ATK 2700 / DEF 2000) in attack-mode. Attack his face-down monster my Bird of Prey!"

Destroying his last monster, Rafael drew a card. "I activate the spell card Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Spring of Rebirth! And now I place one monster in defense-mode and one card face-down and end my turn."

"Are you just going to stay on the defensive? I will get your Life Points eventually. I summon Watchkeeper of Mist Valley (ATK 1500 / DEF 1900) in attack-mode. Bird of Prey (ATK 2700 / DEF 2000)! Attack his face-down monster! Now my Watchkeeper (ATK 1500 / DEF 1900)! Attack Rafael's Life Points directly. That brings you down to 6500 Life Points! Make your move!"

Rafael drew a card and growled at his luck. He placed one monster in face-down defense position and ended his turn.

"This will be an easy win if you continue dueling like this. I summon Shaman of Mist Valley (ATK 1200 / DEF 1200) in attack-mode. Now I will attack you face-down monster with my Bird of Prey (ATK 2700 / DEF 2000). Now my Shaman (ATK 1200 / DEF 1200) and Watchkeeper (ATK 1500 / DEF 1900), attack his Life Points directly! That brings you down to 3800 Life Points! It will be an easy win! Now, I tribute my Shaman and Watchkeeper to summon Thunder Lord of Mist Valley (ATK 2600 / DEF 2400)."

When it became Rafael's turn, Thunder Lord of Mist Valley disappeared. Odion just smiled. "I activate the spell card Salvage. I can now add two monsters from my Graveyard with an attack of 1500 or less to my hand. I will play one monster in face-down defense position and end my turn."

"I'll summon a Thunder Bird of Mist Valley (ATK 1100 / DEF 700) and then I'll attack your face-down monster with my Bird of Prey and end my turn."

Rafael summoned another monster in face-down defense position and ended his turn.

"I activate the field spell card Rising Air Current. This card increases the attack of all Wind monsters by 500 points and decreases their defense by 400 points. Now I summon another Thunder Bird of Mist Valley (ATK 1100 / DEF 700). Now my Bird of Prey! Attack his face-down monster. And with the increase to my Thunder Birds' attack, both of my beasts will attack your Life Points directly, bringing you down to 600 Life Points!" Odion declared.

Rafael, looking none too pleased, set one card face-down and summoned another monster in face-down defense position.

"I will tribute my two Thunder Birds f Mist Valley to summon the great and powerful Simorgh, Bird of Divinity (ATK 2700 / DEF 1000)!"

"Grrr…I activate the trap card Natural Disaster! It will inflict 500 points of damage to your life points each time a card you control is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard by the effect of one of my Cloudian monsters."

"That petty card won't stop me. Bird of Prey! Attack his face-down monster! And now that I've reached the end of my turn, the effect of my Simorgh activates. Normally 1000 points of direct damage would go to both of our Life Points, but since each of us controls a spell or trap card, it's reduced to 500."

Rafael's life points went down to 100 while Odion's went to 7500. Rafael drew a card and swore. He had no more monsters so he just set a card face-down, ending his turn in anger.

Odion smiled triumphantly. "My Simorgh has 3200 attack thanks to Rising Air Current. Simorgh, Bird of Divinity! Wipe out the rest of his life points!" Simorgh rose and attacked Rafael's life points directly, causing him to lose the duel. Applause rang throughout the arena.

"And our winner is Odion!" yelled the announcer. "Please return your decks to the computer and we'll get started with the next duel."

Putting their decks into the slot in the CPU, Rafael glared at Seto when he walked by. "You've got some nerve, Kaiba. This is a joke of a tournament. The probability of a duelist doing well in a duel using your sorry excuse of a method is pointless."

"It's not my fault if you weren't skilled enough to win. This just proves that you are not a worthy opponent," Seto replied back, just as serious.

"I'm leaving. There's no point in me sticking around," Rafael grumbled as he left the arena.

Joey wasn't sure of what to make of this tournament either now that he'd witnessed a duel. It really seemed like it depended on the draw. Plus, most of the cards he'd seen during the duel he'd never even seen before. He even asked Yugi about them, but even he didn't know. This was going to be one hard tournament.

Perhaps Seto was right. You did need to be skilled enough to some up with a plan to win with cards you'd never used. But he also thought that he would have to believe in the heart of the cards as well. It seemed like the only way to draw a good hand.

Or so he hoped.

* * *

_**Duel #2 – Marik vs. Mako**_

"And now let's have our next two duelists step up to the plate," called the announcer. "We have Marik using the deck A Lively Alien and Mako using the deck Desperate Simorgh! Let's begin!"

"You're going down, freaky fish guy!" warned Marik, laughing overenthusiastically.

"In your dreams, you demented Martian," Mako replied, causing Marik to choke on his laughter.

* * *

_**Fast Forward**_

"And our winner is….Marik! Congratulations! Okay now let's have everyone clear the floor for the next and final duel of the day."

* * *

_**Duel #3 – Bandit Keith vs. Rebecca Hawkins**_

"Now we have our final two duelists. Bandit Keith, who will be using the Natural in Nature deck, and Rebecca Hawkins, who will be using the deck Baboon Quality. It's time to duel."

"Okay, pipsqueak. Get ready to lose," said Bandit Keith.

"Whatever you gross, icky, bad man," responded Rebecca, sticking her tongue out at him.

"You little brat!"

* * *

_**Fast Forward**_

"And our winner is….Rebecca Hawkins! Great job! It was kinda close there. All right, everyone! That's it for today. The next round of duels will resume in a few days, but you'll be able to see the next act of the play the day after tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of the activities that are going on until then. Bye!" the announcer exclaimed.

"I can't believe I lost to that little brat!" Bandit Keith pounded the floor with his fists, unable to get over the fact that a little girl had beaten him. Oh, well.

"Ah. Him losin' to Rebecca is just too good to be true," laughed Joey.

"I agree," replied Seto. "We should all head back to the mansion now. We can spend the rest of the day going over what we want to do with the play. That way we can have tomorrow free to do whatever we want."

"Okay. Hey guys! Let's go back to the mansion to go over the play. Seto says we can do whatever we want tomorrow if we finish up today," Joey said to everyone. They agreed and headed back to the mansion.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 12**

_**Kaiba Mansion (Living Room)**_

"Hey, Yugi?" called Tea. Yugi and Ryou were huddled over a laptop Seto had provided them with so that they could rewrite the script.

"Yeah?" Yugi and Ryou both looked at her.

"I had an idea. What do you think about adding some different music to the play? Instead of having the orchestra pit, we can bring in some other music. Maybe even put in a dance number or two?" she suggested.

Yugi thought it over for a moment. "What exactly did you have in mind, Tea?"

"Well…" She bent down and started whispering in Yugi's ear; he started to smile.

"I think that could work."

"I knew you'd like it! I'll have the routines ready in a bit! Oh! And Duke wants to see Joey and Ryou. Can you find Joey, please?" started Tea.

"About what?" inquired Ryou.

"Something about your costumes."

Ryou and Yugi glanced at each other hesitantly before getting up to find Duke. When they found him, they discovered Joey was already there…and he looked like he was going to beat Duke senseless.

"I am not wearin' those! Are ya tryin' to kill me?" exclaimed Joey, glaring menacingly at the three inch heels Duke showed him.

"But your outfit will look stupid otherwise," argued Duke.

"No! There is no way in hell I'm wearin' those."

"Yes, you will," said Seto menacingly, walking over to Joey. "I worked my ass off on designing these outfits. If you insist on not wearing these heels, I swear I will superglue the damn things to your feet." Joey took a step back at Seto's threat. He actually believed him. Seto was quite sensitive about…clothing.

"Okay," Joey said quietly.

"Good. Now that that's settled, you should put them on so that you can get used to them."

"But Seto," the blond whined, eyeing the heels warily.

"Actually, that is a good idea Joey. You'll want to practice dancing in them, too," Tea said, coming over.

"Dancing?" Duke asked. Both he and Seto looked confused.

"Who decided we were dancing?" demanded Seto, glaring at Joey.

"It's nothing difficult. I promise. It's just a little something to go along with the music I've selected," answered Tea.

"Music?" questioned Duke. He sighed. "All right. What do we have to do?"

* * *

_**Three Grueling Hours Later**_

"I don't think I can walk," Joey said tiredly, tenderly pulling the heels off his aching feet.

"You! At least you're not going to be dancing on stage with that…prima donna!" Seto shouted, pointing at Duke. "Do you know how many of his sex stories I had to endure while we were designing the damn costumes?"

"Seto, I really don't want to hear about Duke's sex life. It's probably worse than everyone else's combined," Joey groaned, trying to wipe the unwanted images from his mind. "I'm gonna go Take a shower."

"Okay," said Seto turning to leave, but Joey's hand shot out to stop him. "Yes?"

"Can we talk later?" Joey looked at him hopefully.

"Sure. We can talk later. May I ask what about?"

"My past. I think, no…I need to tell ya what happened. Is there somewhere we can talk privately?"

"We can talk on my balcony. It's adjacent to my bedroom."

"Okay. We'll talk later."

"All right," Seto said, glancing around the room before quickly planting a light kiss on Joey's head. "Go take your shower. I'll be waiting."

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion (Living Room)**_

"Okay, everyone. Here's the new script for _Act II_. Look it over and start memorizing your lines. If you have any questions, you can ask either me or Yugi tomorrow. Kaiba? Can you make sure these get out to everyone else, too? Except for Mrs. Yumi, of course," said Ryou.

"Of course," Seto replied, ordering one of his servants to make the delivery.

As soon as everyone received a copy, they eagerly began scanning through it.

"Oho, this is gonna be good. You guys are geniuses," said Duke.

"I think you're right," agreed Bakura, grinning at his part.

"You haven't seen your costume yet," Duke replied, smirking.

The smile fell from Bakura's face instantly, only to be replaced by a glare. "I swear, if my costume is ridiculous, I will pin your sorry ass to the ground and shave your head!" he threatened.

Duke gulped.

"I'd pay to see that," laughed Joey. "Well, I'm gonna turn in. Seto?"

He nodded to Joey in understanding and followed him upstairs.

"Are you ready to talk now?" asked Seto.

"Yeah. Just let me change first."

Joey found his duffel bag next to Seto's bed, grabbed it, and pulled out a pair of worn pajamas. He headed for the bathroom. Seto decided to change as well. He grabbed a pair of his own pajamas from his dresser.

He'd just finished putting them on when Joey came back. Seto walked over to Joey and pulled him into a hug. Lifting Joey's chin, he kissed him lightly on the lips. "Where do you want to talk? We can go on the balcony or stay in here if you like. It's up to you."

"Um…I think I wanna stay in here. Can we talk on the bed?"

"Sure," Seto replied. He headed for the bed and pulled back the covers. Beckoning Joey over, they both laid in the bed, pulling the covers over themselves. Seto pulled Joey into his arms. "You can start whenever you're ready," he said reassuringly.

"Okay. I think I wanna talk about my mother first. I don't really remember what she looked like, other than the fact that we have the same eyes. And our hair color is similar. Her name was Akina. She was really sweet, kind, and soft-spoken.

"My mother also taught me how to play the piano and we would just sit there playin' songs and singin' for hours. She also gave me a sketchpad and told me to draw. That's what we had in common. We bonded over it."

Joey smiled slightly, but it soon faded. "But then somethin' happened. Kinda like the stuff that happens to Yugi and the gang. Weird stuff. To this day, I always thought it was somethin' from my imagination. But after hangin' with Yugi for so long, I think it was really somethin' else. Somethin'…dark." Joey swallowed hard, the painful memory of his mother's death coming to the surface.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

"_Mommy? Mommy where are you?" called the four-year-old Katsuya. He wasn't sure where he was. He recognized the lake, but it had a dark black fog coming from it. The large trees even looked…threatening. _

_It was so quiet._

"_Mommy's not coming," answered a childlike voice from behind him. Katsuya spun around and saw two children. They looked like they could be twins. One was a boy and the other was a girl. They both had jet black hair and deep purple eyes and seemed to be around the same age as Katsuya._

"_Who are you? I've never seen you before." _

_The twins laughed._

"_Who are you?" Katsuya repeated._

"_I'm Mika," answered the girl._

"_And I'm Taro," said the boy._

"_I'm Katsuya. Do you know what's going on? Why's the fog black?" he asked innocently._

_The children laughed in unison. It was quite eerie. Katsuya felt a chill go down his spine._

"_The fog's black because we made it black," declared Mika. "And we brought you here."_

"_Why?" Katsuya asked._

"_So that we can play a game," answered Taro. "Do you want to play a game with us?"_

"_No. I want my Mommy."_

"_Play a game with us first and we'll take you back to her," said Mika._

_Katsuya thought about this for a moment before giving in. "Okay. What are we gonna play?"_

_The twins grinned evilly. Suddenly, thick vines erupted from the ground, wrapping themselves around Katsuya's wrists and ankles. He struggled against them but they just grew tighter._

"_What's going on?" he cried._

"_We're playing a game," began Taro._

"_It's called Human Sacrifice. You see, we summon a God and we sacrifice you to him. Then he'll do our bidding," continued Mika._

_Katsuya's eyes widened in fear. "Please let me go."_

"_I'm afraid it's too late for that now," said Taro._

"_You already agreed to play," finished Mika. "Shall we begin?"_

"_We shall." Taro and Mika clasped each other's hands and started chanting._

"_We call upon the one of flame, with water also at his bidding," started Taro. _

"_Let him arise and take this boy, so that he can do our bidding," continued Mika._

"_Come forth God of fire and water! Fudo!" the twins cried in unison. A bright light shot up from the lake and a form developed in the sky. Slowly coming down, it landed where the three children stood._

_The twins had summoned the God Fudo. Katsuya's mother had told him of the elemental Gods and she said they were dangerous and nearly impossible to control. You had to be really strong to control these beings. He gulped when he looked at the God Fudo. He was big. Half his body was enveloped in flames while the other side ran like water._

_Katsuya struggled against the vines once more, but they wouldn't release him._

"_Here is you sacrifice Fudo," announced Mika._

"_Take him now," demanded Taro._

_Fudo growled and approached Katsuya. The God reached out for him. This was it._

"_Stop this at once!" a woman's voice ordered. Fudo turned as someone stepped out of the shadows._

"_Mommy!" cried Katsuya, tears in his eyes. His mother had come for him._

"_Release him," she said. The vines let go of Katsuya and receded into the ground. Free, he ran into his mother's arms. She hugged him tightly and kissed him on the forehead. Letting him go, she approached Fudo. "Go back to where you came from." But the God stood there and did nothing._

"_He won't listen to you," said Taro._

"_Fudo is under our control," continued Mika._

_Katsuya's mother noticed the twins for the first time. "You did this?" She looked stunned. "Send him back before it's too late."_

"_We can't do that. He needs a sacrifice," said Mika._

"_And that sacrifice…is your son," stated Taro._

_Katsuya's mother gasped and eyed the God. Lowering her head in defeat, she knew what she had to do. "Katsuya?"_

"_Mommy?" he raised his head in response._

"_I love you, Katsuya. With all my heart. You are my most precious one," she said, pulling him into another tight hug and kissing him on both cheeks. Tears were streaming down her face. "Do you love me?"_

"_Mommy? Yes, Mommy. I love you," he answered. Katsuya didn't know why she was crying._

_She smiled. "Then I'll always be with you…here," she said, placing her hand over his heart. _

_She stepped away from him and ran toward Fudo. Grabbing the God, she chanted something he couldn't hear._

_Katsuya watched in horror as he saw both his mother and the God engulfed in flames._

"_Mommy!"_

"_I love you, Katsuya! And I'll always be with you!"_

_**End Flashback**_

* * *

"Everythin' went black after that. I woke up in the hospital knowin' my mother was dead. I don't know what happened to Mika and Taro. I wasn't sure what happened. I just remember screamin' about some monster burnin' my mother alive." Joey broke off and started crying.

Seto pulled Joey closer to him and let him cry. Sure, his own parents had died, but he'd never witnessed their deaths.

Joey finally calmed down and continued his story.

"My dad eventually showed up at the hospital. He was furious with me. He said it was my fault. When we got back home, he said we were movin'. He changed our names and moved us to Domino. After that, he got a woman pregnant and married her.

"About seven months later Serenity was born. Dad had hit my stepmom in the stomach. He'd just been discharged from the military for buyin' and sellin' drugs to people on base. Dad was furious when he got home and took it out on her. She started havin' contractions and was rushed to the hospital. Serenity was born prematurely and dad's beatin' had left my sister with poor eyes." Joey stopped and looked at Seto.

"Nothin' much happened after that until Matt was born. My stepmom got depressed after havin' him, so I ended up carin' for Serenity and Matt. Dad was usually passed out on the couch.

"But one day, I noticed that some bags were packed and left at the door. My stepmom was holdin' Matt and Serenity was by her side. She said they were leavin'. She couldn't take my father's behavior anymore. And since I wasn't hers, there was no point in her takin' me.

"I begged her to take me. I said that I could continue to take care of Matt and Serenity, like I always had; they were a part of me, too. She slapped me after I said that and called me a piece of filth. She said that I would never see them again. They left…and left me all alone…with my dad…" Joey began staring off into space, as if seeing what had taken place once again.

"That's when the beatin's started," Joey said quietly. "When I came back into the house after they left, he hit me. It was the first time he hit me. Dad started screamin' at me, sayin' it was my fault that the women in his life always left, but he would make sure that I never left him.

"Every single day he would bind my hands and push me down onto the floor so that he could whip me. After a while, I got used to the pain; it was routine."

At this point, Joey began crying. After a while, Seto spoke up. "Katsuya? When we wake up tomorrow, let's wake up as if we're starting fresh, like we're starting out lives over again. Tomorrow, let's start our new lives together."

"A clean slate?" Joey questioned, drying his eyes. Seto nodded. "Ya mean...forget what happened in the past?"

"Not exactly. The past is what makes us who we are. The things in the past did happen. Nothing can change that. What I'm trying to say by starting fresh is that…well, think of it as having a second chance for a life you've always wanted to live. One with family and friends, surrounded by those who care about you the way that I do you." Seto drew Joey into his arms and lifted his chin.

"Seto?" he asked curiously.

"Joey Wheeler…Katsuya Jounouchi…I love you." Joey felt his heart swell with happiness.

"Seto, I love ya, too." They shyly leaned in for a kiss, but when their lips met, all shyness vanished in an instant. After their passionate kiss, they broke apart to breathe.

"I really do love you, Puppy."

"Oh, Seto."

Well, that was an interesting tone. He'd never heard Joey use such an endearing and loving voice before, especially toward him. If he'd been standing, Seto knew his knees would have given out from beneath him. Thank goodness the bed was there. Seto wanted to ravage his Puppy's mouth again until he was breathless, until he was sure that his Puppy would always be his. Pushing aside his unexpected jumpiness, he prepared himself to kiss Joey properly.

Seto gently slipped his right hand up Joey's back and buried it in his Puppy's silky blond locks. Too roughly in his opinion, when he saw Joey wince. He flinched along with him.

"It's okay, Seto," Joey whispered, wrapping his arms around Seto's neck. "My hair's just messy. That's all." Seto didn't think so. Not after Joey's haircut. His hair was smooth, soft, and tangle-free.

Anyway, he was encouraged by Joey's statement, so he tenderly cupped the back of Joey's head and pulled him into a delicate kiss. When he didn't feel Joey become rigid or anything, Seto relaxed and closed his eyes, kissing him more determinedly. And they continued kissing, Seto nipping Joey's lips every now and then. Soon, Seto felt his lower half responding all too quickly to Joey, but fought it. He didn't want to frighten him.

Growing bolder by the second, Seto tentatively opened his mouth and stroked Joey's lips with his tongue. Joey trembled and pulled Seto closer.

Seto parted Joey's lips with his own and soon gained access to his mouth. Slipping his tongue inside the moist cavern, Seto's heart raced. He could feel his Puppy's heart pounding against his chest as well. Wrapping his other arm around Joey tightly, he pulled him closer, not wanting to let go. He forgot about everything in that moment. All he could think about was his Puppy in his arms and trying to get as close to him as humanly possible.

Seto kissed more forcefully and groaned as he did so. Joey responded by moaning back. He really wanted to invade another little part of Joey's body, but he knew he couldn't do that just yet. But maybe he would be satisfied with just having Joey beneath him. Grinning to himself, Seto slowly eased Joey onto his back, not once breaking from their intense kiss.

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion (Seto's Bathroom)**_

Joey went to the bathroom door and knocked lightly when he heard the water shut off.

"Come in," Seto called.

Joey didn't know what to do after their heated kissing—and Seto's accident—so he just opened the door. He noticed that Seto was still in the shower, but he had the curtain drawn so he couldn't see anything. Joey sat on the counter and listened to Seto washing himself.

"Um…how's your shower?" Joey asked.

"Nice. But I think it would be better if you were in here with me." Seto peeked from behind the shower curtain and smirked at him. "Do you want to try it out some time?"

Joey just watched him in shock.

When he was finished, Seto grabbed a large towel and wrapped it around himself as he stepped out of the shower. "Come here," Seto said.

Joey felt his cheeks go hot. "Why?"

"Because I asked you to."

"No, you didn't. You told me to."

"Just come over here," he snapped.

Joey hopped off the counter and approached the dripping wet CEO. His heart pounded as he took in Seto's appearance. His muscles were lustrous and striking, not hulking and awkward. Broad shoulders narrowed downward over gorgeous abs and lean hips.

He next noticed the sight of Seto's hardening groin beneath the towel. He gaped. There was no way in hell that was going to fit anywhere in his person, though the idea had him hardening as well. Maybe he should move on so he wouldn't have to think about that. Legs were safe…weren't they? Joey's eyes moved onto Seto's beautiful legs. They were smooth, powerful, and firm.

All Seto needed to do now was cover his lower half a little more…discretely and then Joey would be able to breathe again.

"Are you finished staring, Puppy?" Joey's head snapped up to see Seto smirking at him. "Do I get a turn now?"

"No, ya p-pervert," Joey stuttered, backing away from Seto and into the counter.

"Me? A pervert? Who was just eye-fucking me a second ago? Hn?" Seto inched closer to Joey, placing a hand on each side of the counter behind him. His groin was dangerously close to Joey's. "Well?"

"Well, what?" Joey stuttered again. He inhaled sharply when Seto leaned forward.

"Do I get a turn?"

Joey shook his head. "No," he answered quietly, appearing downcast. He averted his eyes. Joey felt a hand on his chin as he was gently turned to face Seto again.

"Puppy?" Seto's face looked almost…hurt.

"You're handsome, Seto. I don't want ya to see my scars. I'm…ugly."

"Puppy? You're wrong. Please listen to me when I say this. You are perfect. You are beautiful. More so than you can ever imagine. When I say I love you, I love every part of you. Mind, body, and soul. Every comment that you make, every freckle and scar, every little thing you do, I love every part of you. I truly love you, Katsuya, and nothing can change that. What I feel for you is sincere. And if you don't want me to see you yet, I respect that because I respect you. I'll give you all the time in the world, my heart, and my love. All I ask in return is that you give me yours. I love you," Seto said sincerely.

Joey threw his arms around Seto and hugged him tightly, taking him by surprise. But he soon hugged his Puppy in return, a smile on his face. "I love ya, too, Seto. And thank you. You'll always have my love and my heart."

Joey giggled when Seto twirled him around in the bathroom but soon scrambled away from him and out the door when he stopped.

What was that all about? And where was that breeze coming from? Seto's eyes widened in realization as he looked down. His towel lay in a crumpled heap on the floor.

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion (Seto's Room)**_

"Stop laughing," Seto growled as he came out of the bathroom, covered this time.

Joey walked up to Seto and planted a small kiss on his nose. "I'm sorry. It's just…that wasn't somethin' I expected to happen to ya, of all people," he giggled.

Seto growled again.

"Aw, Seto. Don't be like that. I'm sorry for laughin'. If it makes ya feel any better, I didn't see anythin'. I just hightailed it out of there when I saw the towel fallin'."

Seto's cheeks flared red. They grew even darker when Joey turned his adorable puppy-eyes on him. "Am I forgiven for laughin' at ya, Seto?" he asked affectionately.

"Yes, Puppy. You are forgiven," he said, pulling Joey against him. "If it had happened to you, I probably would have done the same thing…minus running off, of course." Seto reached down and gave Joey's ass a light squeeze.

Joey held in a surprised yelp. "Stop it!" he hissed.

That ruined his mood. "I suppose we should go to bed now?"

"I guess. Seto?"

"Yes, Puppy?"

"Tomorrow, if can we…never mind. It's stupid." Joey headed for the bed, hoping to forget he'd ever thought of it in the first place, but a hand stopped him.

"Puppy? Come here. What do you want to do tomorrow?" Seto asked earnestly. He really wanted to know what Joey wanted to do, but he also wanted to know why he was afraid to ask. When Joey still didn't reply, he decided to wash away any doubts he had. "You don't have to be afraid of asking me for anything. What do you want to do?"

Joey looked up at Seto hopefully but he still sounded shy when he asked. "Can we take Serenity, Matt and Mokuba to the carnival ya have goin' on durin' the festival tomorrow?"

"Sure."

"Thank ya, Seto." Joey latched himself onto Seto and squeezed.

"Puppy? Can't…breathe."

"Oh! Sorry." Joey released him from his death grip.

"No worries. Now let's go to bed. Tomorrow will most likely be a big day. We'll spend the morning at the carnival and the afternoon going over the script. Deal?"

Joey laughed. "Deal."

"Okay. How about we seal it with a kiss?" Seto smirked.

"A kiss, huh?" Joey whispered huskily as he trailed his hand from Seto's abs to his chest. Leaning up to him, their lips met in a passionate kiss.

"Let's go to bed," said Seto. Joey nodded and crawled into the bed, Seto getting in behind him. Wrapping an arm around Joey's waist, he pulled him closer. He smiled when he felt Joey's hand clasp his own. Seto bent over Joey's ear and whispered, "I love you, Katsuya."

Joey turned his head to face him. He smiled. "I love ya, Seto. Goodnight."

Seto placed alight kiss on his lips. "Goodnight, Puppy."

Soon, they both fell asleep, excited about what they would be doing the following day.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 13**

_**Kaiba Mansion (Morning)**_

"So, can we still go to the carnival today?" asked Joey hopefully.

"Yes. I said we'd go. Let's find Serenity, Matt and his partner in crime and we'll head out soon."

"Okay."

They left the bedroom and headed downstairs and into the living room. Breakfast had been about an hour ago, so everyone was pretty much just hanging around, not really knowing what they wanted to do. They found Serenity and Matt staring at a perplexed looking Mokuba.

"Um, what's wrong with Mokuba?" Joey asked.

"He's been traumatized," Matt replied emotionlessly.

That got Seto's attention. "What do you mean?"

"Remember how you said we had to clean the bathrooms?" Matt continued.

Joey closed his eyes and sighed, dreading what was coming next. "Yes," he said reluctantly.

"Well-"

"It was everywhere," Mokuba said suddenly.

"What was everywhere?" Joey wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

"It was on the floor…the walls…the shower…everything. So much bodily fluid…everywhere…everywhere…" Mokuba grew more and more hysterical with each word.

So…Matt slapped him.

"What was that for?" Mokuba screamed.

"I was trying to snap you out of it! You're not the only one who saw it! Who do you think rescued you from their bathroom?"

_Their bathroom? Don't tell me…_ Seto thought. "Who's bathroom?"

Matt looked at Seto before he responded. "Bakura and Ryou's. Why?"

"Oh, no," Joey groaned. Now he knew what body fluids Mokuba was referring to. Why, oh why, did he have to make cleaning the bathrooms a punishment. "Ya know what? Forget the whole bathroom cleanin' thing. You've learned your lesson, right?"

Both Matt and Mokuba nodded their heads vigorously.

"Good. Well, we're all goin' to the carnival in a little bit, so-"

"Really? A carnival?" Matt exclaimed.

"All right!" Mokuba gave Matt a high five.

"Me, too?" asked Serenity.

"Yes, everyone's goin'. Shall we?" Joey said. They practically ran to the front door. Joey laughed. He turned to look at Seto, who had a deep frown on his face. "What's wrong?"

"I don't think the other duelists should remain here for the duration of the festival. I mean, Mokuba-"

"Is fine. He's quite mature for his age. Matt, too. Let everyone stay. If somethin' else happens, ya can order them to leave. Set them up at some hotel or somethin', okay? But for now, just let it be. There shouldn't be any problems if Matt and Mokuba don't go into anyone else's room, right?"

Seto appeared contemplative. "You're probably right."

"I know I'm right. Now, let's go to the carnival, Seto." Pulling on his hand, they followed their overenthusiastic family into the waiting limo.

* * *

_**Domino Carnival**_

"Great. We lost them," Seto growled, searching the bustling crowd.

"No we didn't. Serenity went with Tea to the House of Mirrors and Matt and Mokuba raided the carnival games," Joey replied.

"How the hell do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Know where they all are. I can't even see them."

Joey smirked. "It's a gift," he said.

"And a curse?"

"Funny."

"Hey!" shouted Matt as he and Mokuba raced over to them. "Play games with us!"

"Okay. What do ya wanna play?" asked Joey

"That one." Matt pointed to a complex looking carnival game. It had rings of numerous sizes suspended by strings, making the rings twirl ever so slightly. Past the rings was a large wall with inflated balloons hanging from it. The point of the game was to throw the darts and hit the balloons, but the strings of rings made it virtually impossible to win.

"Are you sure you want to play that one?" Seto questioned skeptically. "Because I don't think-"

"Let him play, Seto," Joey interrupted.

"Fine. Let's go," he sighed.

"What do we have here?" said the game vendor as they wandered over.

"We wanna play!" Matt stated.

Seto eyed the vendor warily. The vendor handed Matt three darts and moved off to the side.

"What do I get when I win?" Matt asked.

The vendor chuckled. "Well, aren't you a confident one. _If_ you win, you'll get that," he said, indicating a giant box that had a picture of a red bicycle on the front. "You gotta pop three balloons though. But no one's ever won. Let alone hit a balloon." He laughed again.

Matt narrowed his eyes at the vendor. With a determined look on his face, Matt took a dart. He pulled his arm back and threw the first dart. It miraculously flew threw a suspended ring and hit a balloon. The vendor looked at the young boy in shock…as well as Seto.

The next two darts followed suit. That was it. Matt had won.

"Yeah! I did it! I won!" Matt cried, jumping up and down.

"How did he do that?" Seto asked Joey.

"He doesn't like to lose," he laughed in response.

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion**_

Matt had been far too excited to get his bike out than to do anything else at the carnival; he'd never had one before. So everyone had eaten something there, played a few more games, and then gone home.

Currently, Seto and Matt sat on the living room floor, the box with the bicycle lay opened in front of them. Little did they know they had to build it themselves. Joey sat back on the couch with Mokuba, watching the two of them amusedly.

Seto was staring angrily at the manual. It had a picture of the completed bike with numerous letters and numbers for the pieces. In his opinion, it didn't make any sense.

Matt just kept handing him pieces. It was kind of funny seeing Seto and Matt putting a bike together, but it was nowhere near looking like one.

"Joey? What're they doing?" asked Serenity. She'd just walked into the living room..

"They're tryin' to build a bike," Joey laughed. Seto heard and glared at them.

"What's that? Kaiba's trying to build a bike? This I have to see. I'm going to make some popcorn," announced Bakura from out of nowhere. Soon the entire room was filled with people watching Seto build the stupid bike.

After a few hours, Matt had given up and fallen asleep on the floor and the amount of people in the room had dissipated. Soon, Joey noticed Seto had sprawled himselfout on the floor, the completed bike standing next to him.

"I see ya finished," Joey said, walking over to him.

"Finally. How come they never put these instructions in English?"

"I thought ya spoke multiple languages?"

"Not Portuguese!" he exclaimed, getting into a sitting position.

"Um…are ya supposed to have extra pieces?" Joey questioned.

"Yes! There are always extra pieces in these things!"

"If ya say so," Joey mumbled, not sure if he should let Matt try out the bike or not. "Do ya want some coffee or anythin'?"

That got his attention. He rose from the ground like a zombie and groaned, "Coffee."

Joey laughed as he grabbed onto Seto's arm and led him to the kitchen. He started preparing Seto a cup and then brought it to him.

"Oh! Tea wanted to know if there'd be anyway to have virtual displays of duel monsters movin' around the theatre before we start _Act II_. She says she has a song that'll really set the mood for the play."

"I'm sure we can come up with something," Seto replied thoughtfully, sipping his coffee.

"Are ya ready for bed now?" Joey nudged him.

Seto took the hint and put his coffee down. "Let's go." He grabbed Joey's hand and practically ran with him up the stairs to his room.

"I'll go put somethin' more comfortable on," Joey said, sauntering into the bathroom.

While Joey was in the bathroom, Seto changed into his pajamas and made himself comfortable in the bed.

"I'm back," said Joey as he stepped out of the bathroom, only to glare at Seto. He'd fallen asleep. But soon his eyes softened. _Well, he did have a busy day. I guess I can't blame him for fallin' asleep on me_, Joey thought as he crawled in the bed next to the brunet.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare or the songs mentioned in this fic

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 14**

"Everybody in the living room now!" roared Seto. Maids scrambled back and forth in and out of the room, depositing boxes of various sizes. "The new costumes are here! All of you must try them on whether you're performing or not. I need to see if they fit correctly. We're leaving for the theatre soon, too."

Seto went from box to box, passing out costumes. When he was finished, the brunet was confronted by Duke.

"What…the fuck…is that?" Seto deadpanned, glaring malevolently at the short, white wig Duke held.

"Well, since you'll be appearing like your favorite card, you might as well look it. I mean, come on, Joey's got a black one. Plus, he has to wear three inch heels," Duke debated.

Seto growled, snatching the wig from his hand. "Fine." He marched off, ordering his maids to gather all the old costumes and put them in a pile out in the yard. When Seto followed them, Joey tried to stop him.

"Where are ya goin'? Don't we have to leave soon?" the blond asked urgently.

"Yes, but there's something I have to do first," he growled as he made his way toward the pile of costumes.

"What-" Joey cut himself off when he saw Seto douse the costumes in gasoline and lit a match, setting them on fire.

He was having a costume bonfire?

Joey backed away hesitantly when Seto started laughing hysterically, yelling triumphantly over the burning outfits.

_I knew he hated those costumes, but did he really have to set them on fire?_

Joey let him have his…moment. Then he was all business.

"Everybody get out! We need to go now!"

* * *

_**Domino Theatre (Backstage)**_

"Where the fuck is that damn teacher?" growled Bakura. He and Marik wanted to make sure she wouldn't stop them from giving the audience the show of a lifetime.

"How the hell am I supposed to know? She's probably sitting in the audience or something," answered Marik.

"Well, then let's go!" Bakura barked back, dragging him to toward wear the audience was seated.

* * *

"Tea! Where are ya?" called Joey.

"Here! I'm just about to run the intro," she replied, stumbling over to him.

"How long will it take?"

"Um…about seven minutes, give or take," Tea answered quickly. "I need to go now. I have to cue Kaiba so he starts the Duel Monsters at the right time."

"Okay, go!"

"See ya! And don't you guys dare mess up my routines!" she called back to him threateningly.

* * *

_**Domino Theatre (Onstage)**_

Soon, the song _Danse Macabre_ by Camille Saint-Saens sounded throughout the auditorium. And with it, virtual Duel Monsters of every kind started swarming around the theatre wearing Renaissance outfits and dancing to the orchestral piece. Many of the virtual creatures started pairing in couples, dancing a slow waltz throughout the theatre. Everyone gaped in amazement. It all looked so real.

"What is going on? That's not supposed to happen!" screamed Mrs. Yumi, their English teacher. She'd jumped up from her seat in shock, gawking in horror at the dancing Duel Monsters. The audience glared at her.

"There she is!" hissed Marik.

"Get her!" Bakura hissed back. They pounced on Mrs. Yumi, dragging her away kicking and screaming.

"Shut her up!" murmured Marik.

"I have to do everything around here," Bakura snarled back. He pulled some items from his pockets: a large handkerchief, duct tape, and rope. Bakura gagged Mrs. Yumi with the handkerchief and added some duct tape across her mouth for good measure. Next, he bound her hands behind her back and tied her feet together. "Happy?"

"Ooh, that's much better," Marik praised. They carried her to a supply closet backstage and locked her inside.

Dusting off their hands, Bakura said, "Well, that takes care of her."

"Yep. Now let's hurry up and get dressed before our Hikaris notice we're missing." They scurried off to change into their costumes.

* * *

As soon as the song ended, the Duel Monsters bowed to the audience and disappeared. The curtain pulled back.

The play was about to begin.

* * *

_**Domino Theatre (Onstage)**_

_Act II, Scene I – Paris – The King's Palace_

Bach's _Double Violin Concerto_ could be heard as the King/Yami, Bertram/Seto, Parolles/Duke, and various other lords appeared onstage. Their characters were preparing to leave for the Florentine Wars.

"I wish you all a safe journey, young lords. I do hope you will advise each other wisely and that all of you benefit greatly from it," said the King/Yami wearily. He wore majestic purple robes that favored his favorite card, the Dark Magician. His matching pants and top hugged his body snuggly. Yami looked every bit a real king.

"We certainly hope so. And when we return, we also hope to see you in good health, my King," replied the First Lord.

"I do not think so. I welcome my death. I grow weary from this endless pain," he replied, seating himself in a large throne near the back center of the stage. "But farewell, young lords. Whether I live or die, I wish you well. I hope that you will fight valiantly for France. Let all see that you do not go there to seek honor, but to claim it. May you be granted much fame. Farewell," stated the King/Yami.

"We will serve you well, your Majesty!" announced the Second Lord.

"Oh! And beware of those Florentine girls. Those women can be quite…well…you understand, I'm sure," said the King/Yami meekly, blushing slightly.

"We understand," they laughed in unison.

"Well, goodbye, good lords," said the King/Yami, rising from his seat. He exited the stage, a few other lords at his heels.

The First Lord twirled around Bertram/Seto, saying, "Oh, my sweet lord, you will join us, won't you?"

"It's not our sweet lord's fault he doesn't go," announced Parolles/Duke, wearing very tight fitting emerald green pants and a matching tunic. A bright red scarf, symbolic of Parolles' character, hung from his neck.

"But these wars are most honorable," urged the Second Lord.

"They are, indeed," agreed Parolles/Duke. The three of them fawned over Bertram/Seto erotically.

"I have been ordered to stay here," Bertram/Seto snapped. He also wore tight fitting pants, but they were white. His tunic, which was also white, was low cut and revealed a portion of his well-toned chest. There were blue dragons embroidered along his outfit, accentuating his azure eyes. His white wig made him look even more like the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "They say I'm too young and that I should go to war next year, that it's too early for me to go," he continued in a rage.

Parolles/Duke walked up to Bertram/Seto seductively and trailed a hand up his exposed chest. "I think you should come with me…run away with me…to war."

Bertram/Seto smacked his hand away. Parolles/Duke appeared hurt. "No," Bertram/Seto growled. "I will stay here until I have my sword. Then, and only then, will I run away to war."

Parolles/Duke smiled at him warmly.

"There is honor in stealing it instead," said the First Lord.

"I agree with him, dear Bertram," replied Parolles/Duke.

"I will be at your command, if you wish it as well. Goodbye, sweet lord," said the Second Lord, making ready to leave.

Bertram/Seto nodded at them.

"Farwell, sweet lord," the First Lord replied.

"You, too, sweet Parolles," responded the Second Lord.

"Before you go," Parolles/Duke began, "I would like to let you know that I will always be on your side. If you go to the regiment of the Spinii, you will meet Captain Spurio. Meet him, greet him, and say to him, 'I live.' Observe his reports for me, will you?"

"As you wish, sweet Parolles," answered the First Lord. The two lords then exited the stage, leaving Parolles/Duke and Bertam/Seto all alone, as of which Pachelbel's _Canon in D_ began to play.

Bertram/Seto moved to the center of the stage as he watched Parolles/Duke dance around him slowly and seductively.

Parolles/Duke placed his feet about ten inches apart, pointing his toes straight forward, his knees relaxed. He placed a hand on Bertram's/Seto's shoulder and made one good pelvic thrust forward as far as possible toward Bertram/Seto. Parolles/Duke relaxed slightly and stepped away from him, smiling sweetly.

He continued thrusting in time with the music as he danced around him, appearing much like a belly dancer, until he suddenly stopped behind Bertram/Seto. Placing his arms around Bertram/Seto and holding him in a loving embrace, Parolles/Duke looked on him adoringly. Bertram/Seto rolled his eyes and tried to shrug him off.

Succeeding, Bertram/Seto found Parolles/Duke on his knees before him, clutching his legs desperately.

"The God Mars adores you. What will you do, my dear, sweet lord?" asked Parolles/Duke.

"Get up!" Bertram/Seto barked. "The King is returning."

Parolles/Duke bolted to his feet and stood awfully close to Bertram/Seto. Uncomfortably so.

As the King/Yami entered the stage, Parolles/Duke turned to Bertram/Seto. Clutching him tightly, he said, "Come with me. Let us depart and go after those two lords. It may be a good idea for us to…get _in_ with the other soldiers." He winked suggestively at him as he rubbed himself against Bertram/Seto.

Pushing him away, Bertram/Seto replied nonchalantly, "I will go, but not to _ingratiate_ myself with the likes of you or any of those lowly soldiers."

Parolles/Duke smirked as he watched Bertram/Seto leave the stage. "Worthy fellows," he whispered. "They definitely prove to be the strongest swordsmen." He followed Bertram/Seto off the stage.

Next, Lafeu/Marik entered the stage and knelt before the King/Yami. He was...not too pleased with his outfit. Of all the colors in the world, why the hell did his outfit have to be pink? He looked like a fucking piece of chewing gum with hair. Who the hell decided to model his outfit after the Marshmallon card, anyway? Well, at least he got to carry a cane. He _was_ playing an old lord after all.

"Excuse me, my lord, but I have some information that may be of interest to you," Lafeu/Marik snarled. He didn't like kneeling before his self-proclaimed enemy.

"Just…get up," the King/Yami groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose as he felt an oncoming headache. A _real_ one. This was going to be a long scene.

Lafeu/Marik got up from his kneeling position and glared at the King/Yami. "Are you still ill, your Majesty?" he asked maliciously.

"Yes," the King/Yami started. He really didn't like the crazed look the demented man had in his eyes.

Lafeu/Marik clicked his tongue in mocking disapproval. "Oh! You poor king. Have you not taken anything for your poor illness?" he asked scornfully. "Well, then. Perhaps you'll take a cure from me. You can trust me. There is someone who can cure you of your malady and she will willingly do so."

The King/Yami looked confused. "She?"

"Yes! _She_, you imbecile," Lafeu/Marik exclaimed, smacking the King/Yami in the back of the head with his cane.

"Ow! That's not in the script!" hissed Yami.

"It is now!" laughed Marik. But before Yami could make a clever response, Marik jumped back into his lines. "Your Majesty, she is the daughter of a well known physician and she has come here to help you." _The Gods only know why_, he thought. "She amazes me, though. I did not know that one so young, let alone a woman, could be as skilled as she is. She demands that you see her immediately. Will you let her come?"

"Fine. Bring her to me," the King/Yami said reluctantly.

"Great! I shall fetch her then," Lafeu/Marik replied…giddily, leaving to fetch Helena/Joey.

Lafeu/Marik re-entered the stage with Helena/Joey in tow. The audience gasped at Joey's appearance. He wore a long black wig that went past his shoulders. The snug dress he had on hugged the slight curves in his figure; it was a tad low cut in the front, showing just a bit of his chest. The dress barely reached his knees and the three inch heels he walked in showed his delightfully toned legs. But his dress was what astounded people most. It was the darkest black anyone could imagine, with red dragon imprints on it that seemed to glisten in the stage lights. Joey was worthy of epitomizing his Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

"Here she is," announced Lafeu/Marik.

"So I see," the King/Yami replied skeptically.

Lafeu/Marik rolled his eyes. "This is the King. Speak your mind to him and be blunt about it, for he cannot comprehend anything beyond that," he said, grinning maliciously. "Although, you do look like a traitor, but don't worry. His Majesty doesn't fear traitors. I'll leave you two together then. See ya!" Lafeu/Marik said before skipping off the stage, twirling his cane.

The King/Yami looked Helena/Joey up and down suspiciously. "So, my beautiful one, are you truly as gifted as Lafeu says?"

"Yes, my lord. Gerard de Narbon, the famous physician, was my father. I know his practice well," Helena/Joey replied seriously.

"I knew him," said the King/Yami, sitting in his throne.

"Then it looks like I don't have to brag about his reputation. Since ya knew him well enough, ya knew of his capabilities. On his deathbed, he left me many of his cures for serious ailments. One in particular he made me store for an instance such as this. After I heard of your illness, and that nothin' ya had taken would cure it, I sought ya out so that I could give ya his cure."

"I thank you, dear maiden, for coming all this way. But I highly doubt that you can succeed in curing me, especially when my own doctors, who are far more experienced than you, weren't able to do so."

"Please let me try," Helena/Joey begged.

The King/Yami sighed. "I thank you with all my heart for wanting to help me, but I must say no."

"Why do ya insist on rebellin' against the cure for your illness? All I can do is try. There is no harm in that," argued Helena/Joey.

He sighed again. "Farewell, kind maiden," he said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Wait! My cure for ya _will_ work! Ya are not past bein' treated for your illness, your Majesty!" Helena/Joey pleaded.

"Are you really that confident in your abilities?"

"Yes. I am," Helena/Joey replied solemnly.

"You appear quite confident and certain of your skills, so how far will you go?" the King/Yami questioned seriously.

"I will go as far as to have ya end my life, right here and now, if my cure does not work."

The King/Yami looked contemplative. "Fine. I accept your offer. If your cure does not work, you will be put to death."

Helena/Joey nodded in agreement. "And if it does work, what will ya give me in return?"

"Make your demand."

"But will ya make it an equal wager?"

"On my honor, yes," he replied honestly.

"If I succeed within twenty-four hours, I must be allowed to choose a husband from among the noble bachelors of the court as payment for my services," Helena/Joey declared.

"So it is agreed. If your cure fails, you will be put to death. If your cure succeeds, you may choose any of the noble bachelors of the court as a husband. You have my solemn word."

Helena/Joey made a slight curtsy before leaving the stage; the King/Yami rose from his throne and followed suit.

* * *

_**Domino Theatre (Backstage)**_

"My feet are killin' me," whined Joey. "When can I take these damn things off?"

"When we're done.," replied Duke.

"Hey!" Joey spun and glared at Duke menacingly. "What the hell did ya think ya were doin' with Seto up on that stage?" he roared, advancing on Duke threateningly.

"Whoa! Hold on! I was just getting into character!" he exclaimed, but then a thought crossed his mind. "You wouldn't…like him, now, would you?"

Joey blushed profusely.

"Duke!" shouted Tea, bearing down on him.

He cringed; he was in for it now. He'd totally gone against what Tea had taught him. "Yes?" he answered meekly.

"That was wonderful! I didn't know you could move like that. It was absolutely perfect!" she squealed proudly.

"Uh, thanks, Tea," he replied sheepishly.

This…was getting awkward.

"Um, look! The next scene is about to start!" declared Joey. He was definitely going to have a long talk with Duke later.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 15**

"Will you hold still, damn you!" Seto exclaimed. He was trying to fix Yugi's dress. It was a tad too long.

"But, Kaiba! I need to get on stage! I'm on!" replied Yugi, trying to pull his dress out of Seto's grasp.

He let go. "Fine! Trip over the damn thing for all I care!" Seto retorted, giving up.

With that, Yugi picked up his skirtsand headed for the stage.

"Hey, Kaiba. Can I talk to you for a second?"

Seto turned, only to find himself facing Duke. He narrowed his eyes in anger. "What the fuck do you want, Devlin?"

Duke closed his eyes and sighed. "Look, I'm sorry for that little act I pulled before onstage. But I did have a good reason for it."

Seto eyed him strangely. Why was Duke acting so sincere? "What are you getting at, Devlin?" he deadpanned.

Duke seemed like he was struggling for the right words. "Do you like Joey?" he blurted out. "More…than you would…a friend?"

Seto's eyes widened for a moment. "Why?" he snapped.

"Because…Joey likes you. A lot. I kind of figured he did, so that's why I did what I did on stage. Just to make sure."

"And you would do that because?"

"Kaiba," Duke sighed exasperatedly. "Do you like Joey or not?" he asked abruptly.

"Yes," he whispered in response, averting his eyes. There was something in Duke's tone that forced him to respond.

"Good."

Seto was stunned. "Good? That's it? You did all that to find out if we liked each other?"

"No. I wanted to make sure neither of you were going to get hurt. To make sure it wasn't unrequited love."

"Why would you care?" Seto asked slowly.

"Like it or not, I have a soft spot for you two. I think you two are good for each other. You've both been hurt, I think. How? I'm not sure and I'm not going to ask. That's just the feeling I pick up from the two of you. And I hope you'll be happy together. You and Joey need to take care of each other," he replied, turning away from Seto.

Seto hadn't realized just how perceptive Duke really was until now. "Duke?"

Duke stopped and turned to face Seto again. "Yeah?"

_I can't believe I'm going to say this._ "Thanks. And don't tell anyone about me and Joey. We're not ready for that yet."

He smiled. "All right. And you're welcome. Plus, if you ever need to talk or anything, you and Joey can come see me any time," Duke said, winking at him.

_What…was that all about?_ Seto thought, thoroughly confused. Their conversation had been awfully strange.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act II, Scene II – Rousillon – The Count's Palace_

The Countess/Yugi made his entrance with a Clown (Lavache/Bakura) at his heels. Lavache/Bakura, dressed very much like a Kuriboh, followed the Countess/Yugi to the center of the stage. Yugi had a long, light blue dress on with pink trimming and a short blonde wig. It made him look a lot like the Dark Magician Girl. He actually looked rather cute dressed that way.

"Come on, dear sir. I am going to put you at the height of your breeding," said the Countess/Yugi.

"Well, my lady, I will show that I am fed in the upper class but have the knowledge of a lowly one. My only business is in the court," Lavache/Bakura replied confusedly.

"To the court!" the Countess/Yugi replied haughtily. "Why? Why does that place make you so special when you put it off with such disapproval?"

"Well, my lady. If God had lent a man any real manners, he could easily put it off at court. A man cannot make a leg, take of its cap, kiss his hand and say nothing, having neither leg, hands, lip, nor cap. Such an individual is not for the court, but for me. I have an answer that will serve all men," Lavache/Bakura replied wittily.

"Okay…that's a…bountiful answer that fits all questions," the Countess/Yugi responded, a bit puzzled.

"Look at it this way," Lavache/Bakura began. "It's like a barber's chair that fits all asses; the pin-asses, the square-asses, the brawn-asses, or any asses."

_What is he talking about? Is that even in Ryou's new script?_ thought Yugi. "Um…will your answer be able to fit all questions?

"As the nail to its hole; as the cuckold to its horn; as a scolding queen to a bickering knave; as a nun's lip to a friar's mouth-no! As the pudding to his skin; as-"

"Okay! Okay! I get the idea!" the Countess/Yugi interrupted, waving his arms frantically. "Do you have an answer that fits all questions?"

Lavache/Bakura smirked. "From below your duke to beneath your constable, my lady. My answer will fit any question."

The Countess/Yugi sighed in anguish. "Then it must be a rather _long_ answer in order for it to fit any question."

"Not really," he replied matter-of-factly. "If the educated should speak the truth of it, that is, and all that belongs to it. Oh! Ask me if I am a noble! Ask me if I am a noble! It will do you no harm to learn!"

_Why is Bakura so hyper? _"If only I were young again. But I will be a fool and ask you this question. Perhaps it will make me wiser. Are you a noble?" asked the baffled Countess/Yugi.

"Oh, Lord, sir! There is a simple putting off. More! More! A hundred of them!" he mocked in his upper class tone.

The Countess/Yugi forced a laugh. "Sir, I do think I am a poor friend who loves you."

"Oh, Lord, sir! Thick! Thick! Spare not me!" he mocked again.

The Countess/Yugi decided to…play along. "Good noble, I don't think you can eat this plain meat."

"Oh, Lord, sir! No! You can put me to it! I demand you!" Now Lavache/Bakura was getting out of hand.

"You were whipped recently, weren't you?" the Countess/Yugi deadpanned, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, Lord, sir! Spare not me!" Lavache/Bakura cried.

"Did you cry 'Oh, Lord sir!' when you were whipped? And 'Spare not me!'? I think your 'Oh, Lord, sir!' is very…sequent to your whipping. I do believe you'd answer very well to a whipping…if you were bound to it, that is," the Countess/Yugi mumbled. Lavache/Bakura was actually starting to creep him out a bit. He was getting a little too into the role, in his opinion.

"I never had worse luck in my life in my 'Oh, Lord, sir!' I happen to see things that will serve me for a long time!" Lavache/Bakura continued.

"Great. I play the noble housewife with the time to entertain myself so merrily with a fool," the Countess/Yugi grumbled.

"Oh, Lord, sir! Why? There! It serves well again!"

"Stop it!" the Countess/Yugi screamed, panting heavily. There was only so much he could take and he was ending it now. Screw the damn play. He quickly handed a letter to Lavache/Bakura. "Give this to Helena and urge her to reply back immediately. Commend me to my kinsmen and my son, Bertram. That isn't much!" he screeched hurriedly.

"Not much commendation to them," Lavache/Bakura smirked.

"Not much employment for you! Do you understand me?"

"Yes! I am there before my legs!" he replied comically.

"Hurry up and go!" the Countess/Yugi screamed, chasing him off the stage.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Backstage)_**

"Are…ya okay, Yugi?" Joey asked uneasily. Yugi did _not_ look happy.

"What was Bakura doing? He just kept going on and on and wouldn't stop talking! I didn't understand half of what he was saying!" Yugi rambled.

"Well, that's the point. And you performed it quite well. You see, the Clown-or Lavache-was making fun of the way people in the upper class speak and act. I purposely made his role a bit irritating to show that those who are of that nature, meaning you, the Countess, would take offense. Many people in the lower class can't stand the way those who are higher than them in society act. The lower class is usually mocked and ridiculed. This scene reversed that scenario. The upper class was mocked and ridiculed by the lowly one. He made you mad, which is what I wanted him to do. It was the only way for you to pull off that scene…because, honestly, you're not a very angry person, Yugi," said Ryou.

"You did that to make me mad on _purpose_?" Yugi questioned.

Ryou nodded.

"So if I hadn't told him to stop rambling or anything, he would have just kept going? Until I cracked?"

"Pretty much. Yes," Ryou stated bluntly.

"That…was actually a good idea. Thanks, Ryou! I didn't know something like that could frustrate me so much!"

"Bakura tends to have that affect on people."

* * *

**End Chapter**


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare or songs in this fic

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 16**

"Duke!" Joey growled, advancing on him threateningly. "We need to talk! Now."

"Okay," Duke replied compliantly. They stepped off to the side, out of everyone's way, to talk.

"Stay…away…from Seto," Joey warned, glaring at him menacingly.

"Sure."

That was not the response Joey was expecting. "Huh?"

"I already spoke with Kaiba. He said he really likes you and I know you feel the same way about him. As I already told him, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't unrequited love," Duke answered seriously.

"I'm…confused. Why would ya openly flirt with Seto like that then? Just to see if we liked each other?"

"Actually, to see how strongly you felt for one another. Each of you got mad at me, which means you two must really care for one another in order to act so…well, protective."

"But why would ya care about that…us?" _What is he up to?_

Duke seemed to grow distant at that point. He looked like he was struggling with something. "You're not as alone as you might think," he answered quietly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go."

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act II, Scene III – Paris – The King's Palace_

Bertram/Seto, Lafeu/Marik, and Parolles/Duke entered the stage in amazement, stunned that Helena/Joey had cured the King/Yami.

"They say that miracles are in the past and that rational persons try to make things that are supernatural more modern and familiar. Perhaps we should submit ourselves to the unknown with fear," said Lafeu/Marik, thinking on the cure Helena/Joey provided the King/Yami.

"Why? It's the rarest argument of _wonder_ that has disappeared in our times," responded Parolles/Duke.

"So it is," replied Bertram/Seto seriously.

Lafeu/Marik continued speaking his thoughts aloud. "To be…relinquished of the artists-"

"I said that," interrupted Parolles/Duke.

Lafeu/Marik glared at him. "Both of Galen and Paracesus."

"I said that, too."

"Of all the educated and valid fellows-"

"And yes! I said that as well!" continued Parolles/Duke irritatingly.

Lafeu/Marik shot him another glare. "That gave our good King incurable and-"

"Oh, look. I think I said that, too."

"Not to be helped-"

"Wait! Let me guess! You're going to say 'As it were, a man assured of a-'"

"-an uncertain life and positive death," finished Lafeu/Marik hastily.

Parolles/Duke smirked at him. "I have said all of that before."

"Now, I can honestly say that it is freshness to the world," said Lafeu/Marik.

"Indeed, it is. Besides, if you'll have it in showing, you'll read it in-what do you call it?" continued Parolles/Duke.

"A showing of blissful effect in an everyday actor?" Lafeu/Marik offered.

"That's it. I do believe I would have said the same."

Lafeu/Marik rolled his eyes as if praying to something that he would just shut up. "Of course, you would," he replied sarcastically. "Before me, I speak in respect-"

"No. It's strange. It's very strange that Helena would be assisted by-"

"-the very hand of heaven?" Lafeu/Marik offered again.

Parolles/Duke nodded. "So I say."

"In a most weak-" Lafeu/Marik cut himself off because he just _knew_ that he was going to be interrupted again. When Parolles/Duke said nothing, he continued. "-and feeble minister, great power, great transcendence which should, in fact, give us a further use to be made than alone in the recovery of our good King, as to be-" he paused again, waiting for Parolles/Duke to cut in. Again he said nothing. Maybe he wasn't going to say he'd say the same thing again. "-generally thankful."

"My thoughts exactly, although, I would have said it better myself," Parolles/Duke smirked. Before Lafeu/Marik could pounce on him in frustration, Parolles/Duke announced, "Look! The King's here!"

The three of them turned to see the King/Yami enter with Helena/Joey and some attendants.

"I'd like a maid like that," Lafeu/Marik commented, eyeing Helena/Joey appreciatively.

"Isn't…that Helena?" exclaimed Parolles/Duke.

"Oh, my God! I think it is!" Lafeu/Marik replied, trying to wash his mind from the vulgar thoughts he'd just had.

The King/Yami looked to one of his attendants and ordered, "Go and fetch all the lords of the court. Helena, my dear preserver, will stay by my side. Since she has cured me, this dear maid will now claim her prize." The attendant scrambled away and brought forth a few more lords from the court.

"Dear Helena, look around you. These are all the noble bachelors of the court. Choose who you want to be your husband and it will be so. I have the power to give you what you wish. None will dare defy me," continued the King/Yami.

"They all seem so fair and virtuous, your Majesty. But I may only pick one," said Helena/Joey.

"If only I were younger," mumbled Lafeu/Marik regrettably.

"Scrutinize them well. All of them have had a noble father," stated the King/Yami.

Helena/Joey looked them all over approvingly. "Gentlemen, heaven worked through me in order to restore our good King to health."

"We understand, my lady. And we thank heaven for you," all the lords replied.

"I am but a _simple_ maid," Helena/Joey began hesitantly. "Your Majesty, I fear that my love will be refused. I don't know if I can do this..."

"Make your choice," the King/Yami said encouragingly. "For whoever shuns your love, shuns all his love in me," he warned the noble bachelors.

Helena/Joey approached the First Lord. "Will ya take me as your bride?"

"No, my good lady."

"Fine," Helena/Joey replied disappointedly.

"I wish I were one of her choices," grumbled Lafeu/Marik.

Helena/Joey moved onto the Second Lord. "Will ya take me as your bride? I'll give ya all the love I have to offer."

"I am sorry. No."

"As ya wish."

Lafeu/Marik stood there in shock. "Why are they all refusing her?" he exclaimed. "If they were my sons, I'd beat the shit out of them…or send them to the Turk to make eunuchs of them!"

Helena/Joey approached the Third Lord. "Will ya take me as your bride? I will always be faithful to ya."

"I cannot."

"I see."

Lafeu/Marik started to get pissed at this point. "These damn young men have hearts of ice!" he growled. "None of them want her. Bastards! All of them!"

Helena/Joey moved onto the Fourth Lord. "Will ya take me as your bride? Although, I do not think I wish to have ya. Ya are too young, too happy, and too good to have a child by me."

"I don't think so," the Fourth Lord replied drunkenly.

"These young men are all fucking assholes," Lafeu/Marik muttered, covering his face in his hand in embarrassment for them.

Helena/Joey finally approached Bertram/Seto and looked on him adoringly. "I dare not say I take ya. But I do offer ya myself and my service, while I live, into your guidin' power. This is the man I choose. Bertram."

"Why, then, young Bertram, take her. Helena is now your wife," declared the King/Yami.

Bertram/Seto looked at him in utter shock. "My wife?" he screeched. "I beg you to reconsider!"

"Bertram. Don't you know what she has done for me?" inquired the King/Yami authoritatively.

"Yes, your Majesty. But why do I have to marry this…lowly mutt?" he spat.

"You _do_ know that she is the one who raised me from my sickly bed, correct?"

"I am aware of that, your Majesty, but I should be allowed to choose my own wife! She is nothing but a poor physician's daughter! She cannot be my wife! Marrying that mongrel will degrade my noble birth!" Bertram/Seto roared angrily.

The King/Yami glared forebodingly at Bertram/Seto. "You dare defy me with this arrogance?" he reprimanded. "I have the power to elevate Helena's title. But I find it quite astounding that social differences are so important to you, young Bertram. Human blood is quite the same from one class to another. There is no difference in blood between the nobles and the peasants, or any human being. Blood is the same color; it's all the same. You should not compare social status, but actions. Helena may have a lowly status, but she is dignified by her virtuous deeds. I urge you to accept Helena as your bride."

"I cannot love that worthless mutt. And I will not try to do so, either," Bertram/Seto replied adamantly.

"You wrong yourself if you should strive to choose," said the King/Yami.

"All that matters is that ya are in good health, your Majesty. I'm glad for that. Let the rest go," said Helena/Joey softly. But the King/Yami wasn't ready to give in just yet.

The King/Yami focused his attention on Bertram/Seto once more, deciding to execute his power over him. "This is your last warning. Take Helena as your bride."

"I will _never_ take her," Bertram/Seto growled.

"If you refuse to accept Helena as your bride," said the King/Yami, "then I will disown you and revoke you of your title."

Bertram/Seto, fearful of such a public dishonor, nodded his head in agreement to taking Helena as his bride.

The King/Yami smiled. "Take Helena by the hand and tell her she is yours."

Bertam/Seto took Helena's/Joey's hand and looked as if he was disgusted. "I…take her hand," he said reluctantly.

"Good fortune! You are in favor of the King and I smile upon this holy union. As you love her, your love to me reigns true," announced the King/Yami, blessing their union.

Everyone stepped off to the side, leaving Bertram/Seto and Helena/Joey standing gloriously in the center of the stage. Bertram/Seto took Helena's/Joey's hands in his as they stood in a standard dance position.

_Truly Madly Deeply_ by Savage Garden started playing as they performed a slow ballroom dance. And as they moved in time with the music, the virtual Duel Monsters appeared again, dressed in Renaissance attire, dancing along with them majestically.

When they song ended, everyone left the stage save Lafeu/Marik and Parolles/Duke.

Lafeu/Marik approached Parolles/Duke, saying, "Might I have a word with you?"

"It would be my pleasure, sir," Parolles/Duke replied.

"Bertram, your lord and master, did well to make his recantation."

"Recantation? My lord? My master?" Parolles/Duke exclaimed.

"But of course. Do you not understand the language I speak? I only mean that it was good of your master to finally accept the dear Helena as his bride. Although, God should be your rightful master, but I do believe the devil is instead."

"You have a most harsh language," Parolles/Duke growled.

"Are you…a _companion_ to the Count of Rousillon, Bertram?" Lafeu/Marik asked conceitedly.

"To any count…to all counts, to what…is man."

"To what is count's man? Count's master is of another style. Oh, if I were younger, I would beat you senseless."

Parolles/Duke laughed degradingly at him. "You are far too old, sir. Let it satisfy you. You are too old."

"I did think that you were a pretty wise individual. You did make an acceptable account of your travels. But your scarf dissuades me of your true nature. You are good for nothing, except _taking up_. Even then you seem hardly worth it," replied Lafeu/Marik maliciously, throwing Parolles'/Duke's scarf in his face.

"Have you not the privilege of the distant past upon you-"

"Don't get angry unless you want to quicken your trial, which if, the Lord have mercy on you for a hen! You are a coward and a liar! So, my little pauper, I hope you fare well. I can see through your façade. Give me your hand."

"My lord, you give me much disgrace."

"Yes, with all my heart. You are definitely worthy of it."

"I have not deserved it, my lord!" Parolles/Duke snapped.

"Bah! I have no more words to waste on your pitiful self," Lafeu/Marik said, growing impatient. He stormed off the stage, Parolles/Duke smirking triumphantly.

"Good. This is very good. Let's hope it stays concealed awhile," Parolles/Duke mumbled. He jumped when he noticed Bertram/Seto come back onstage.

"I am undone…and forfeited to cares forever!" Bertram/Seto roared angrily.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" asked Parolles/Duke earnestly.

"Although I have married that ghastly mutt, I will _not_ bed her! Consummating the marriage be damned!"

"What's that, sweetheart?"

"Oh, my Parolles. They have married me. I'll just go to war so that I never have to bed her," Bertram/Seto said, sounding pleased with himself.

"That's a fine idea, sweetheart. It is unmanly to stay behind in the arms of your wife. You should be proving your valor on the battlefield," Parolles/Duke said encouragingly.

"Hm. I shall. I will send Helena to my house with a letter to my mother saying how I detest my forced bride. Then I shall sneak off to war without informing the King," Bertram/Seto replied.

"That is a wonderful idea. You should do it! The King has wronged you greatly by forcing you to marry Helena," supported Parolles/Duke.

Bertram/Seto nodded. "Come with me to my room where you can advise me. I'll send that mongrel to my mother tomorrow. That should be soon enough."

"Yes. That should be soon enough," Parolles/Duke repeated, taking Bertram/Seto by the arm as he guided him off the stage.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Backstage)_**

"I must admit that you are a genius," Seto told Ryou appreciatively.

"Well, it does get better. I can't wait to get started on the next act," Ryou replied.

"Either way, it's really good Ryou," stated Duke. He then looked at Joey and Seto for a long while before he started to leave. "Take good care of each other. And remember, if you need _anything_, just give me a call." And with that, Duke walked away.

"What was that all about?" Seto asked.

"I'm not sure."

* * *

**End Chapter**


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 17**

**_Domino Theatre (Backstage)_**

"Okay, you good-for-nothing priest! Why the hell do I look like Kuriboh?" roared Bakura at Seto. He wasn't too pleased looking like a big, brown fluff ball.

"Come now, 'Kura. I think you look cute," replied Ryou. Bakura seemed to simmer down a bit. Maybe he was going to get some for looking cute. Maybe-if he behaved himself-he'd get even more.

Oh, who are we kidding? This is Bakura we're talking about!

"I don't care if you think I look cute! I look like a fucking wooly worm!"

"You…don't…like what I think of you, Bakura?" Ryou asked tearfully.

_Shit!_ Bakura thought. _I hurt my Hikari._

Bakura walked over to Ryou and embraced him gently. "I…didn't mean that, Ryou. I just wanted to-oh! I'm sorry, okay?" he growled embarrassingly.

Ryou peeked over Bakura's shoulder and winked at Seto. _Works every time_, Ryou thought. "Apology accepted, love. It looks like you're in for a special treat tonight," he said seductively.

Seto tried desperately to ignore the two of them making out when he was suddenly struck with an idea. _I wonder if that would work on Joey? Hm…maybe I should do something special for him._

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act II, Scene IV – Paris – The King's Palace_

Helena/Joey entered the stage with Lavache/Bakura the Clown.

"My mother greets me kindly. Is she well?" Helena/Joey asked sweetly.

"She is not well, but she has her good health. She is very merry, but she is not well. Thanks be given, she is very well and wants nothing in the world, but she is not well," answered Lavache/Bakura.

Helena/Joey was confused. "If she's well and does not suffer from anythin', then why is she not well?"

"Truly, she is very well indeed except for two things," Lavache/Bakura replied.

Helena/Joey looked like she was growing irritated with the brief answers Lavache/Bakura was providing. "What two things?"

"Firstly, that she's not in heaven whither God send her quickly!" Lavache/Bakura quipped. Helena/Joey raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Secondly, she is on earth from whence God send her quickly!"

"Wha-"

"Bless you, my fortunate lady!" interrupted Parolles/Duke, coming onstage majestically.

"I do hope, sir, that I have your good will in order to have my own good fortunes," replied Helena/Joey.

"You had my prayers to lead on your good fortunes. Oh! My knave!" Parolles/Duke called, indicating Lavache/Bakura. "How is my old lady?"

"So…if you had her wrinkles and I her money, I would she did as you say," answered Lavache/Bakura insultingly.

Parolles/Duke eyed him oddly. "Why, I would say nothing."

"Wow! Really? How unlike you!" declared Lavache/Bakura sarcastically. "You, Master Parolles, are a wise man who says nothing, does nothing, knows nothing, and has nothing," he laughed.

Parolles/Duke glared at him. "Go away! You are a knave!"

"You should have said, sir, before a knave, you are a knave! That is, before me you are a knave! This is the truth, sir!" announced Lavache/Bakura all-knowingly.

"Go! You are a witty fool! I have found you!" Parolled/Duke appeared quite agitated by the Clown's comments.

"Oh, did the poor little Master find me in himself, sir? Or were you taught to find me? The search must have been profitable and there is much a fool that you may find in you, even to the world's pleasure and the increase of laughter!" Lavache/Bakura roared in amusement.

"A good knave in faith and well fed," growled Parolles/Duke. He turned to face Helena/Joey. "Madam, my lord Bertram will leave tonight. He was called away on serious business. The great sanction and rite of love in your marriage bed, which, as your due, time claims, Bertram does acknowledge. He apologizes for not being able to consummate the marriage."

"Is there anythin' my husband wants me to do?" asked Helena/Joey.

"Yes. Bertram wants you to leave at once and carry a letter from him to his mother. But you are to tell the King where you are going," Parolles/Duke replied.

"Is there anythin' else he wants of me?"

Parolles/Duke nodded. "That, having this obtained, you presently attend his further pleasure."

"All right. In everythin', I wait upon his will," Helena/Joey said.

"I shall report it so."

"Thank ya," Helena/Joey stated as Parolles/Duke left the stage. "Come, Lavache." Helena/Joey and Lavache/Bakura left after Parolles/Duke.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Backstage)_**

As soon as Joey reached backstage, he was intercepted by Seto and hugged tightly. Pulling away, the blond looked at him, a bit puzzled.

"Is…everything okay?" Joey asked unsurely, searching Seto's eyes for some sort of answer.

The brunet shook his head. "We did this wrong."

"Did what wrong?"

"Our relationship. We went about it wrong."

"What do ya mean?"

"Not once," Seto interrupted, "did I ask you out on a date, give you flowers, have a nice dinner, or even ask you to be my boyfriend. I just took what I got and was happy with it, expecting it to work out."

Joey started to feel his heart break. _He's rejectin' me! After all I shared with him? After all he shared with me?_

"Which is why I'm putting a stop to all this."

_He's rejectin' me. He doesn't want me._

"So…will you be my boyfriend, Joey? I'm not exactly the best person in the world to have a relationship with. I promise to start taking care of you as I should, listening to you, and loving you. I always want to be with you, Joey."

Seto was seriously shaking in his boots at this point. He was nervous. How was Joey going to respond?

"Yes," Joey said softly.

"What?" Seto replied.

"I said yes, ya bastard," Joey laughed.

"Okay. But-"

Joey silenced him with a kiss. When they pulled away, both of them were smiling happily.

The blond smirked. "You're a hopeless romantic, ya know that?"

"Shut up!" Seto snapped, a blush staining his cheeks.

"Oh, don't say that to your boyfriend," Joey said, a hint of amusement twinkling in his eyes. "I might just give ya a gift of my own tonight," he stated huskily, wrapping his arms around Seto's neck.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act II, Scene V – Paris – The King's Palace_

Lafeu/Marik and Bertram/Seto entered the stage hastily.

"I do hope you don't think that you are a soldier," said Lafeu/Marik in reprimand.

"I am, indeed, my lord. And a very valiant one if truth be told," replied Bertram/Seto sincerely.

"You listened to that Parolles, didn't you?"

"And from other credible individuals."

Lafeu/Marik sighed in aggravation. "You must be wary of his true nature!"

"I do assure you, my lord, that Parolles is very great in knowledge and astoundingly valiant," Bertram/Seto said, trying to defend his dear friend.

"You cannot trust him! His personality is as changeable as his clothes!"

"These things shall be done, sir!" announced Parolles/Duke to Bertram/Seto, making his way toward the two.

"Hello, Parolles," spat Lafeu/Marik. "May I ask who your tailor is?"

"Sir?" Parolles/Duke asked in confusion.

"Oh, I know him very well, sir. He is a good workman, a very good tailor," Lafeu/Marik rambled.

As he continued to blab on, Bertram/Seto turned to Parolles/Duke and said, "Has she gone to the King?"

"She has," Parolles/Duke replied.

"Will she go away tonight?"

"She will."

"Good. I have written my letters, put together my treasure, and given orders for our horses. Tonight, when I should take possession of my bride, I will leave," Bertram/Seto stated in earnest.

Listening to Lafeu/Marik once more, they realized that his ramblings had just gotten worse. "A good traveler is something at the latter end of a dinner, but one that lies three thirds and uses a known truth to pass a thousand nothings with. It should be heard once and beaten thrice. God save you, Parolles."

"Have the two of you fallen out?" inquired Bertram/Seto.

"I don't know how I deserved to run into Lafeu's displeasure," answered Parolles/Duke.

"You ran into it!" declared Lafeu/Marik impatiently. "Boots and spurs and all! Like the one who leaped into the custard! And out of it, you'll run again, rather than suffer the question for your residence!" The ramblings of an old lord could be quite bothersome and difficult to understand.

"It may be that you have mistaken him, my lord," appeased Bertram/Seto.

"The soul of a man is his clothes!" roared Lafeu/Marik, pointing aggressively at Parolles/Duke. "This meaning that Parolles has no depth of character! You must not trust him in matters of great importance!" he bellowed, storming off the stage.

"A redundant lord, I swear," said Parolles/Duke, looking after the old lord.

"I think you are right about that," replied Bertram/Seto.

"Why? Do you not know him?"

"I know him well and common speech gives him a worthy pass. Great. Here comes my dog," Bertram/Seto stated crossly. They turned to see Helena/Joey enter the stage.

"I have done what ya commanded me, sir. I spoke with the King and have obtained his consent for leavin'. He only desires to have a private talk with ya," Helena/Joey said to Bertram/Seto.

"I shall obey his will. I want you to take this letter, Helena, and leave," Bertram/Seto said, handing her a letter. "It is for my mother."

"Sir, all I can say is that I am your most obedient servant," said Helena/Joey adoringly.

"Come, come, no more of that."

"Ya are my great fortune and I shall always obey ya."

"Let it go," he replied hurriedly. "I need to depart. Leave for my home."

"Um, Bertram?" asked Helena/Joey shyly.

"What is it?" he snapped.

"I am not worthy of the wealth I owe, nor dare I say that ya are mine, and yet ya are. But, like a fearful thief, most would steal what the law does vouch for as my own."

"What do you want?" Bertram/Seto deadpanned, a glare hardening his features.

"I…I would like a farewell kiss," Helena/Joey replied hesitantly.

"Absolutely not," Bertram/Seto replied coldly. "Now get going."

"I shall obey ya, Bertram," Helena/Joey said softly, disappointed at the refusal of a simple kiss.

"Where are my other men? Farewell," Bertram/Seto stated curtly as Helena/Joey left. "Yes. Go toward my home, where I shall never come for as long as you are alive," he muttered. Turning to Parolles/Duke, he said, "Let us go to Florence and fight in the wars!"

"Yes. Let's," Parolles/Duke replied, walking off the stage with Bertram/Seto.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Backstage)_**

As soon as Seto got off the stage, his cell phone rang. "Kaiba," he answered. People started backing away when a look of absolute fury crossed his features. "What the hell do you mean today? The duels were scheduled for tomorrow!" Seto paused for a bit, listening to the other end of the line. "Fine!" he spat, shutting his phone closed.

"What's goin' on, Seto?" asked Joey hesitantly.

"Everybody get in the cars outside. We need to leave for the Duel Dome now! My idiot employees scheduled the next few duels for _today_! We have ten minutes to get there!" Seto roared storming off.

"What? In these costumes?" exclaimed Bakura.

"Oh, dear," said Ryou. He was still wearing his dress because it was being altered so that it would fit him better.

"We have to duel looking like this?" shouted Yami, glancing at his outfit.

"Only if you're selected," smirked Seto. "Now get moving!"

* * *

**_Domino Duel Dome (Arena)_**

The duelists who were doing both the play and dueling stood in the center of the arena, still dressed in their costumes. They didn't have time to change.

And they didn't look happy.

Especially Joey, Ryou, and Yugi. They were still wearing their dresses. Although, Joey had discarded his black wig in the limo.

"Welcome! This afternoon we'll be having three more duels! Are we ready for the selection process to begin?" exclaimed the announcer. He was answered by loud applause and cheering. "All right! Let's get started!" The announcer activated the computer and it began announcing duelists and decks.

"DUELSIT NUMBER SEVEN….RYOU….DECK….LONG AND SLENDER," said the computer. Roars of laughter erupted from the other duelists as Ryou took his deck from the machine.

"DUELIST NUMBER EIGHT….JOEY….DECK…..FAIRY PRINCESS."

Everyone started snickering. Seto even tried to hide a smile behind his hand. Joey snatched the deck from the machine and glared at his boyfriend.

"All right! So our fourth duel will be Ryou (Deck – Long and Slender) vs. Joey (Deck – Fairy Princess). Let's give a round of applause for our competitors!"

"DUELIST NUMBER NINE….ZIGFRIED….DECK….LONG-LASTING." Zigfried smiled as he retrieved his deck.

"DUELIST NUMBER TEN….MAI….DECK….BACKUP WANTED."

"Wonderful! Our fifth duel will be Zigfried (Deck – Long-Lasting) vs. Mai (Deck – Backup Wanted). Let's give them a hand!"

"DUELIST NUMBER ELEVEN….BAKURA….DECK….GADGET GEEK." Marik roared with laughter, making everyone else burst out in giggle fits. It grew even worse when Marik successfully got the crowd to chant 'Geek' when Bakura grabbed his deck.

"DUELIST NUMBER TWELVE….WEEVIL….DECK….DEAR EXODIUS."

"Heeheeheeheehee," laughed Weevil.

"Fantastic! Our sixth and final duel of the day will be Bakura (Deck – Gadget Geek) vs. Weevil (Deck – Dear Exodius). Give it up for our duelists!"

The audience roared. It looked like they were going to witness some pretty awesome duels.

"Now. Let's have our first two duelists of the day get started. Ryou! Joey! Step on up!"

"Go get him," Seto said encouragingly to Joey.

"Squash that princess!" said Bakura supportively to his Hikari.

Ryou and Joey looked at each other and sighed from embarrassment.

They were two guys…wearing dresses….dueling with decks called 'Long and Slender' and 'Fairy Princess.'

Could life get any worse?

That was when Joey noticed the video cameras. They were on live television.

Joey guessed that life could.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**_Wheeler Home_**

Mr. Wheeler sat on his beer-stained couch, not really paying attention as he carelessly flipped through channels. Suddenly, he stopped. He wasn't sure why, but he just did.

"_Look!_" hissed a voice. Mr. Wheeler whipped his head around, his blurry eyes peering into the empty living room.

"Who's dere?" he slurred drunkenly.

"_Look!_"the voice hissed again. And this time, Mr. Wheeler's head was forcibly turned in the direction of the television screen. His eyes widened when he saw who was on the channel he'd stopped at.

"Akina!" gasped Mr. Wheeler. "My…Akina!" He slowly stood from the couch, his eyes boring holes into the television set as he witnessed his son, Joey-dressed as a woman-getting onto the dueling platform.

"_Yes! Akina!_" agreed the voice, laughing maliciously. "_Go to Akina! Go to Akina!_"

The voice kept edging him on to go to 'Akina,' and he was too drunk to even realize there was a disembodied voice speaking to him. Mr. Wheeler wobbled to the door and put his hand on the doorknob. "Wait. Akina's dead…ain't she?" he said, head tilted as if he were thinking.

"_Go to Akina!_" ordered the voice as a purple light quickly materialized and flew into Mr. Wheeler's body.

He stiffened momentarily, his eyes flashing as he walked steadily out the door, the purple light planting memories and ideas in Mr. Wheeler's head.

* * *

**_Domino Duel Dome (Arena)_**

**_Duel #4 – Ryou vs. Joey_**

Ryou and Joey both stepped onto the platform, ready to duel.

"Good luck, Ryou," said Joey, who was playing with the Fairy Princess deck.

"You, too, Joey," replied Ryou, who was playing with the Long and Slender deck.

"All right! It looks like we're in for one awesome duel! Remember, everyone. Each duelist starts out with 8000 Life Points. So let the duel begin!" cried the announcer.

"Ya can go first, Ryou," said Joey.

Ryou nodded and drew a card. "I summon Volcanic Slicer (ATK 1800 / DEF 1200) in attack-mode. Once per turn, my monster will inflict 500 points of direct damage to your Life Points." The monster's effect activated, inflicting Joey's Life Points directly, bringing them down to 7500. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

"Great," Joey mumbled as he stared at the cards in his hand. It wasn't looking too good. "I activate my spell card Mystical Space Typhoon. And now I'll destroy your face-down card."

Destroying it successfully, he added, "Now I'll activate my other spell card, The Flute of Summonin' Kuriboh! I will now summon one Winged Kuriboh (ATK 300 / 200) to the field in attack-mode. I can then shuffle my deck, and set two cards face-down." _I have no idea what the hell I'm doin' with this deck. But so far, it looks okay. I hope._

"Come now, Joey. You'll have to do better than that if you want to defeat me. I summon another Volcanic Slicer (ATK 1800 / DEF 1200) in attack-mode. I'll attack your Winged Kuriboh (ATK 300 / DEF 200) with my first Volcanic Slicer (ATK 1800 / DEF 1200). Volcanic Slicer! Attack his Winged Kuriboh!"

"Not so fast! I activate my trap card, Dimensional Prison! This allows me to remove your attackin' monster from play. Say goodbye to your Volcanic Slicer!"

"That's all right! I still have my other one. Volcanic Slicer! Attack his Winged Kuriboh!" Being a successful attack, Joey's Life Points went down to 6000.

Jumping from the force of the attack, Joey accidently activated his other face-down card on the field. "No! Um, I activate my trap card, Divine Wrath. This allows me to discard one card from my hand in order to…um…negate the activation of an effect monster's effect and destroy that effect monster," he said hurriedly. _Shit. Shit. That means if he has another way of attackin' my Life Points, my Winged Kuriboh's effect is useless._

Ryou gave him a weird look, like Joey had done something stupid,which he kind of had. "I…end my turn."

_Whew!_ Joey thought. He drew a card. _Today just isn't my day! What the hell am I supposed to do with this? _"I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Ryou smiled, seeing that Joey had no monsters on the field to stop him from attacking. "I summon UFO Turtle (ATK 1400 / DEF 1200) in attack-mode!"

"And I activate my trap card, Torrential Tribute! Since you summoned a monster, my trap card destroys all monsters on the field. Your Volcanic Slicer and UFO Turtle are toast!"

Ryou looked a tad taken aback as he ended his turn.

"How dare you destroy my Hikari's monsters!" yelled Bakura from the crowd. He was fuming. Joey turned to look at him. Why was he getting mad? He was just dueling Ryou. But Bakura looked furious. Something…didn't seem right with him.

"Bakura, it's a duel!" shouted Joey, staring intently at Bakura. His eyes flashed and his vision seemed to clear.

Feeling somewhat appeased, Joey looked at the cards in his hand skeptically. "I place one monster in face-down defense-position and end my turn."

"I summon Bowganian (ATK 1300 / DEF 100) in attack-mode. Bowganian! Attack his face-down monster!" Although it was a successful attack, Joey's monster's effect activated.

"Since you destroyed my Mask of Darkness, I can bring one trap back from my Graveyard and add it to my hand."

Ryou frowned and said that his turn was over.

"Now, I'll…place one monster in face-down defense-position, I'll set one card face-down, and then end my turn."

Ryou drew a card and smiled. "Since it's now my Standby Phase, you receive 600 points of direct damage to your Life Points thanks to my Bowganian. You are now down to 5400 Life Points, Joey. Bowganian (ATK 1300 / DEF 100), attack his face-down monster!"

"I don't think so! I activate my trap card, Dimensional Prison. This removes your Bowganian from play!" Joey exclaimed triumphantly, glancing back at the audience. He noticed that Bakura seemed to look at him contemplatively. _What's wrong with Bakura?_

"Fine. I'll set one monster face-down in defense-mode and I'll set one card."

Joey closed his eyes and drew a card. Peeking at his hand, he groaned when his draw was not exactly what he wanted. Sighing, he placed a monster in face-down defense-position and ended his turn.

Ryou drew a card and grinned eerily at Joey. "I tribute both of your face-down defense-position monsters in order to summon Lava Golem (ATK 3000 / DEF 2500) on your side of the field in defense-mode. You will take 1000 points of direct damage to your Life Points during each of your Standby Phases."

"What?" Joey yelled, appearing to be in utter shock. How the hell was he going to get out of this one? _Well…durin' my next turn, I can switch that Lava Golem to attack-mode and wipe out his monsters. It's only a matter of time before I'd be able to attack his Life Points directly with it_, Joey thought, smiling to himself at his plan.

"Don't look so happy because you have a powerful monster. I'm not quite finished with you yet. I now activate the spell card, Messenger of Peace. This card is continuous. Neither one of us can attack with a monster that has 1500 attack points or more. In order to keep this card in play, I'll have to sacrifice 100 of my own Life Points during every one of my Standby Phases." Ryou ended his turn with a victorious grin on his face.

_What the hell am I gonna do? _Joey drew a card. _It's my Standby Phase now! That means I lose-wait! I won't lose anythin' if I do this! _"I discard Hanewata (ATK 200 / DEF 300) from my hand in order to stop Lava Golem's effect. The battle damage is now zero. It looks like I'm still in this. Make your move."

Ryou drew a card and lost 100 Life Points due to Messenger of Peace; his Life Points reading 7900. He passed.

Joey drew and then lost 1000 of his Life Points due to Lava Golem's effect, bringing his precious Life Points to 4400. "I summon Gemini Elf (ATK 1900 / DEF 900) in attack-mode!" _Finally, a stronger monster! Oh, shit! I can't attack because of Messenger of Peace! Crappy-crap!_ "And I end my turn," he grumbled, feeling silly that he'd forgotten about Ryou's spell card.

Ryou drew and lost another 100 Life Points, bringing his total to 7800. He passed again.

_Why does he keep passin'? _Joey lost another 1000 Life Points. He only had 3400 Life Points left. _What can I do? I don't even know what these cards do! Maybe I can do this..._

"I tribute my Gemini Elf and Lava Golem in order to summon my Felgrand Dragon (ATK 2800 / 2800) to the field!" _Well…that's saved my Life Points for now, but I still can't attack! How can I possibly win if I can't get at his Life Points?_

Ryou drew another card, lost another 100 Life Points, his total now 7700, and passed again.

"Are ya gonna duel or just stand there lookin' pretty?" Joey yelled as he grew quite irritated with Ryou's lack of playing.

Ryou inhaled sharply at Joey's comment. "Me? You're the one who looks like a pampered princess!" Ryou shot back, growing flustered.

"Excuse me? And what are ya? Miss America gone drag?" Joey retaliated.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP AND DUEL YOU FUCKING IDIOTS!" roared Marik from the audience.

Let's just say that that shut Joey and Ryou up for now. Let's get back to the duel, shall we?

Joey huffed and drew a card, setting one card face-down.

When it was Ryou's turn again, he lost another 100 Life Points, bringing him down to 7600. "I summon another Bowganian (ATK 1300 / DEF 1000) to the field in attack-mode! When it's my Standby Phase again, you'll lose 600 Life Points!"

Joey stared at the cards in his hand for the longest time.

"I'm waiting," taunted Ryou.

"Just a minute. I activate my spell card, The Flute of Summonin' Kuriboh! I will now summon my Winged Kuriboh (ATK 300 / DEF 200) in attack-mode."

"Well, if that's all you're going to do," Ryou replied, drawing a card. "You lose 600 Life Points thanks to my Bowganian. You're now down to 2800 Life Points. I've lost another 100, bringing mine down to 7500. Now! I'll attack your Winged Kuriboh (ATK 300 / DEF 200) with my Bowganian (ATK 1300 / DEF 1000)."

"Not if I activate my trap card, Mirror Force. This card destroys all your face-up monsters. And since that's only your Bowganian, ya can say goodbye to your monster."

"Hm. I'll just place one monster in face-down defense-position and set one card face-down. I end my turn."

Joey drew a card and activated the spell card, United We Stand, equipping it to his Winged Kuriboh; therefore, it brought its attack to 1900 and defense to 1800. But he still couldn't attack because of Messenger of Peace!

Ryou lost another 100 Life Points, now having 7400. Activating the spell card, Mystical Space Typhoon, Ryou destroyed Joey's spell card, United We Stand. He also flip-summoned his Ebon Magician Curran (ATK 1200 / DEF 0) to attack-mode. Declaring an attack on Winged Kuriboh (ATK 300 / DEF 200), Joey's Life Points were brought down to 1900.

_If Ryou keeps this up, I'm gonna lose the duel!_ "I activate the spell card, Swords of Revealin' Light. This card prevents ya from attackin' for three turns. But that's not all! It also reveals your face-down monster!" Ryou's face-down monster flipped, revealing a Marshmallon (ATK 300 / 500).

It was now Ryou's turn, and during his Standby Phase, his Life Points dropped to 7300, while Joey's dropped to 1600 because of Ebon Magician Curran's effect. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

When it was Joey's turn, he set one card face-down, too, and ended his turn.

During Ryou's Standby Phase he lost another 100 Life Points, now having 7200, while Joey lost another 300, making his 1300.

"Okay. It's my turn now," declared Joey, drawing a card. _It's official. I am gonna kill Seto for ever creatin' this tournament. These decks are complete shit!_ "I discard D.D. Crow from my hand to remove the Lava Golem ya have in your Graveyard from play. I end my turn." _Yep! I'm gonna kill Seto._

Ryou drew another card, his Life Points reading 7100, Joey's reading 1000. "I summon UFO Turtle (ATK 1400 / DEF 1200) in attack-mode and end my turn." Ryou appeared like he just wanted this duel to end. They were trapped in this Life Point reduction loop due to the effects of a magic card and effect monsters. It was getting a little…dull.

Joey's Swords of Revealing light finally disappeared, so he set a card face-down and ended his turn. _Someone shoot me now. This deck is complete crap. Ryou gets all the cool monsters and I'm stuck with fur balls._

Ryou's Life Points dropped to 7000, Joey's to 700, and he set another card face-down.

_Please give me somethin' good_, Joey chanted as he drew another card. _Damn it all to hell! _"I set one monster in face-down defense-position and end my turn…again."

Joey grew confused when he actually saw Ryou smirk. _Why is he…smirkin' at me?_

"That was a very poor move, Joey," Ryou said as his Life Points went down to 6900, Joey's to 100.

"Wait! Why'd my Life Points go down by 600? I thought it was 300!" exclaimed Joey.

"It was…until you summoned a second monster. Ebon Magician Curran reduces you Life Points by 300 for every monster you have on the field, and since you summoned another monster, you lost 600. And now, it's time to end this. I tribute both of your monsters to summon another Lava Golem (ATK 3000 / DEF 2500) to your side of the field in defense-position. During you next Standby Phase, you'll lose this duel!"

_I'm gonna lose. As soon as I draw my next card, I'll lose._ "Damn ya, Ryou!" he yelled, slowly glancing over at Seto, who looked at him sympathetically. He turned back to face his deck, missing the glazed look that crossed Bakura's eyes as he started to smirk evilly.

_This is it. As soon as I draw, I lose the duel_. Joey's hand hovered over his deck, ready to draw his next card.

That is, until he felt himself being tackled to the floor.

"How dare you talk to my Hikari that way!" screamed Bakura, pinning Joey to the floor and wrapping his hands around Joey's neck, strangling him. Screams sounded in the arena.

Joey laid there in shock, desperately trying to get Bakura to release his neck. Something was wrong. This wasn't Bakura. He would never act this way. And his eyes seemed vacant.

"Bakura! Get off him!" shouted Ryou, trying to pull Bakura off Joey. Bakura just shoved Ryou away roughly, launching him across the floor.

Seto raced over and ripped Bakura away from Joey. Releasing Joey's, he tripped and fell backward, his head smacking onto the floor, rendering him unconscious.

"Joey!" shouted Seto, racing over to the blond as he took in the air he desperately needed. "Are you okay?" Joey nodded as he tried to talk. Seto turned a glare at the unconscious Bakura. "I'm going to kill him," Seto growled.

"No! Kaiba, no! It wasn't Bakura," shouted Yami as the rest of the gang flooded the main floor of the arena.

"What do you mean it wasn't Bakura?" questioned Ryou, crawling over to Bakura hesitantly.

"Something made him do that. I don't know what, and I don't know if it's still there," said Yami. Suddenly, a dark purple light shot from Bakura. The purple light flew out of the Duel Dome.

Ryou shook Bakura gently. "Bakura, wake up. Bakura," Ryou called softly. His eyes opened slowly and he focused on Ryou. "Oh, Bakura! Are you all right?"

"Ryou? Why am I on the floor? And why the fuck does my head hurt?" he exclaimed, sitting up.

"Apparently, you were possessed…or something," answered Ryou quietly.

"Possessed? By what?"

Yami glanced at him then averted his eyes. "I don't know. And I really wish I did."

Seto looked at Joey for a minute before helping him to his feet. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked concernedly.

"I think so."

"So, who won the duel?" inquired Bakura, rubbing the back of his head as he rose from the floor. This simple question seemed to jolt the announcer into action. Hey, it wasn't everyday that you saw a duelist strangle another one.

"And our winner is Joey due to a disqualification!" yelled the announcer. This seemed to calm down the freaked out audience as they sat back in their seats, feeling that things were normalizing. "Please return your decks to the computer and we'll get started with…the next duel," he continued, looking quite exhausted. It was turning out to be one hell of a day.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 19**

**_Duel #5 – Zigfried vs. Mai_**

"Hey, Joey? I'm going to go change out of this costume now since your duel is over. You got really lucky," said Seto.

"I know I did. Now go change. I'll change after the duels are finished, okay?"

"All right. I'll be back soon," Seto replied as he left.

"And now, let's have our next two duelists step up to the plate," called the announcer. "We have Zigfried using the deck, Long-Lasting and Mai using the deck, Backup Wanted! Let's begin!"

"Are you prepared to lose, my sweet?" said Zigfried, smirking slightly.

"Oh, please, you fashionably challenged freak. Like you could ever beat me," Mai replied, snarling in distaste at being call 'my sweet.'

* * *

**_Time Passes_**

"And our winner is….Mai! Congratulations! Okay, now let's have everyone clear the floor for the next and final duel of the day."

"I am so glad he didn't win," mumbled Seto as he reappeared behind Joey, making him jump.

"It was a pretty good duel, too. Mai definitely gave Pinky a run for his money, that's for sure," laughed Joey.

* * *

**_Duel #6 – Bakura vs. Weevil_**

"Now we have our final two duelists. Bakura, who will be using the Gadget Geek deck, and Weevil, who will be using the deck, Dear Exodius. It's time to duel."

"Okay, you little cockroach. I'm going to squish you like the bug you are," said Bakura.

"Whatever you say…GEEK!" laughed Weevil evilly.

"You're going to pay for that!"

* * *

**_Time Passes_**

"And our winner is….Bakura! Great job! That was a close one!" said the announcer. After Bakura won, the entire crowd started chanting 'Geek.' Looking about ready to burst, he screamed at everyone to shut up, silencing them indefinitely.

What would you have done? They'd just seen him strangle a duelist for apparently no reason at all.

"All right, everyone! That's it for today. The next round of duels will resume in a few days, and you'll be able to see the third act of the play the day after tomorrow. See you all then!" the announcer exclaimed.

"Well, that was fun," said Joey as he stood up from his seat. "Seto? I'm gonna go change, okay? I'll be in the bathroom." Joey grabbed the bag next to his seat that held his clothes and left, giving Seto a peck on the cheek as he did so.

Joey reached the public bathroom and stepped inside. No one was in there, so he placed his bag on the floor next to the sink and started taking off his make-up. When he was finished, he bent down to pick up his bag, but jumped when he heard a soft click. He hadn't even heard anyone come in.

Spinning toward the sound, Joey's eyes widened in fear and he took a frightened step back. There, standing before him, was his father. He had the same glazed expression in his eyes as Bakura had, but that expression soon changed to one of…lust?

Joey's father quickly approached him, grabbing him by the shoulders and slamming him against the wall. Joey shook in fear as his father eyed him up and down, licking his lips.

"Akina," Mr. Wheeler growled as he pushed his body up against Joey's forcefully. "My sweet, little Akina. Why did ya leave me?" he demanded, throwing Joey onto the floor abruptly.

As soon as the blond hit the floor, he tried to scramble away from his father, but to no avail. His father grabbed him by the ankles and yanked him back; removing Joey's heeled shoes in the process. Before the blond knew what was happening, his father had moved on top of him, pinning his wrists above his head.

"Shall I teach ya a lesson for leavin' me?" Mr. Wheeler asked maliciously as his son struggled. Joey's eyes widened when his father started removing his belt.

* * *

_He sure is taking a long time. Does it really take that long to change out of a dress?_ Seto thought, growing slightly worried because Joey had been gone for fifteen minutes already.

"Kaiba!" shouted Tristan, running over to Seto, panting heavily. "I think Joey's in trouble! We need to find him now!"

"What do you mean he's in trouble?" exclaimed Seto, feeling his heart momentarily stop.

"I saw his dad a couple minutes ago and he didn't look happy!"

Seto wasn't sure if he should believe Tristan or not, but seeing the frightful expression on his face made him accept what he was saying. Seto beckoned for Tristan to follow him. "What kind of trouble do you think he's in?" Seto asked anxiously.

"I don't know, but it's not good. Do you know where he is?"

"He said he went to the bathroom to change," Seto claimed, in pursuit of Joey.

* * *

"No! Let me go!" Joey screamed, thrashing as he tried to get his wrists from his father's deathly grip.

"Shut up!" he snapped, slapping Joey hard across the face with his free hand, stunning him momentarily. This gave Mr. Wheeler the chance he needed to tie Joey's wrists together tightly with his belt. When he was done, he hauled the blond to his feet and dragged him over to one of the stalls. He lifted the end of the belt and wrapped it around the top hinge of the stall door. Wrapping an arm around Joey's waist, he raised him a little so that he could secure the belt in place snuggly.

Letting go, Joey realized his feet barely touched the ground; he could only stand on his tiptoes. He tugged at his restraints, but that only made pain shoot up his arms. "Please, let me go! Please!" Joey begged tearfully.

"Now, Akina," Mr. Wheeler replied, stroking Joey's smooth cheek with his calloused hand. "Why would I let ya go when I've only just found ya again? Hm? Don't ya think I should make sure that you'll never run away from me again?"

Joey flinched at his touch. "I'm not Akina! I'm your son! Akina's my mother! She's dead!" he cried, trying to kick his father away from him.

Mr. Wheeler caught his legs and wrapped them around his waist against Joey's will as he ground his straining erection into the blond's crotch; he whimpered in fear. "No. You're my Akina," he said conclusively. "And I am gonna make ya mine once more." He dropped Joey's legs and ran his hands up them slowly until he reached the hem of his underwear.

Joey sobbed and tried to fight back as he felt his father roughly pull his underwear down, tossing it to the far side of the bathroom. "Please don't do this," he pleaded, tears streaming down his face. _Seto, where are ya when I need ya most?_

* * *

"It's gotta be this one. We checked all the others," Tristan stated as they reached the final bathroom. Seto beat him there, tugging on the door.

It was locked.

He banged on the door. "Joey! Are you in there?"

"Seto! Help me! He's tryin' to-"

"Shut up!" bellowed someone from inside the bathroom. Seto grew furious when he heard Joey yelp from being slapped. He stepped back and ran full force at the door, trying to bust it open.

No such luck.

"That's not gonna work, Kaiba. The door's too strong and it opens from this side. We need to find someone and get a key!"

Seto glared at the door. "Then go get someone!" he roared at Tristan, sending him scurrying off. _Hold on, Joey. Just hold on._

* * *

_Seto's here, but he can't get in! _Joey thought frantically as he squeezed his eyes shut. He was forced out of his thoughts when he heard his father unzip his pants. His eyes shot open, only to see his father pull out his hardened member.

"Are ya ready, my dear Akina?" Mr. Wheeler asked.

Joey felt his heart stop. _No! This can't be happenin'! _He started tugging on his restraints once more.

* * *

"No! Get away from me!" Seto heard Joey screech.

"Joey! Damn it!" he roared again, slamming himself against the door again. _Where the hell is Tristan?_

Suddenly, Seto felt a hand stop him as he was about to ram himself into the door again.

"Maybe I can be of some assistance," said Pegasus, moving a very stunned Seto Kaiba away from the door. He noticed that Pegasus had a janitor with him holding a set of keys.

"Get that door open!" demanded Pegasus.

* * *

Joey was exhausted from his struggling. He fought back weakly when he felt his father slide up the hem of his dress, lifting him up so that his father's cock rested just outside his entrance.

"Seto," Joey said quietly, whimpering when he felt his father pull back, preparing to thrust into him.

_Bang!_

Joey jumped, as well as his father, when he saw the door to the bathroom hit the wall. Standing in the doorway were Seto and Pegasus. Both of them had looks of absolute fury on their faces at what they were seeing.

Seto made to charge at Mr. Wheeler, but Pegasus beat him to it. He bolted past Seto and tackled Mr. Wheeler to the ground, punching him in the face over and over again, rendering him immobile. Seto felt like he couldn't have done it better himself, so he quickly ran over to Joey.

"Joey. I'm here. Are you okay? Did he-"

"No. Ya made it just in time," Joey answered as Seto untied his hands. The blond stumbled into him when he was finally released from the restraints, wobbling a bit. Seto wrapped his arms around Joey's trembling body tightly, as if he were afraid to let him go, kissing him on the top of his head, and making soothing sounds. Joey hid his face in the crook of Seto's neck and cried for all he was worth.

Tristan slid to a halt in the bathroom. "Kaiba? Joey? What-oh, shit! Pegasus? What the hell did you do?" exclaimed Tristan, looking at the horribly bloodied Mr. Wheeler.

"Only what he deserved," growled Pegasus, standing up. "Find someone to get rid of this piece of filth." Suddenly, a purple light burst from Mr. Wheeler's body. Pegasus turned to face Seto and Joey. Tristan did the same.

Joey pulled away from Seto's embrace. "I wanna go home, Seto," he said quietly, gripping his shirt firmly.

"All right. We'll go home right now," Seto replied.

"I'm coming with you," said Pegasus. "We need to talk."

"Then I'm coming, too," implored Tristan.

"No, you're not," said Seto. "I need you to handle the others for now."

"Okay," sighed Tristan, running off to find their friends.

"Let's go. We'll talk on the ride back to the mansion," Seto stated, leaving no room for argument.

* * *

**_Inside the Limo_**

Seto, Joey, and Pegasus sat in the limo in silence.

"We need to talk about Duel Spirits," Pegasus started, breaking the silence.

"Duel Spirits?" echoed Seto.

"Yes. I believe a little magic has been at work here involving Duel Spirits. They are, in essence, the spiritual embodiments of the cards we use during our duels. These creatures once physically existed and now their spirits remain, enchanting the cards.

"Sometimes these spirits may be summoned to the real world, possessing others as we have seen twice today already."

"Bakura and my dad?"

"Exactly."

"But…why is this happenin'?" asked Joey, looking defeated.

"I don't know," replied Pegasus honestly.

Joey looked thoughtful for a minute. "Do they talk? The Duel Spirits?"

"It's quite possible."

"Because a few days ago, I heard a voice…"

It was Pegasus' turn to appear thoughtful. "Perhaps you're meant to hear them then?"

"I don't understand."

"You can't seriously expect us to believe in this magic stuff, do you?" interceded Seto. "It can't be—"

"—true?" finished Pegasus. "I assure you it can. And if you don't take it seriously, you'll find yourselves in great danger."

Everyone just sat there in silence, lost in their own thoughts for awhile. Pegasus sighed, crossing his arms as he leaned back. He looked at Joey. "Akina's your mother, isn't she?" Pegasus asked softly.

Joey inhaled sharply. "How did ya-"

"When I saw you at the Duel Dome in your dress, your hair, your eyes…you looked so much like her. It's amazing. You see, your mother and I were childhood friends. We both discovered that we had a unique gift. A gift I believe you have as well."

"Ya knew my mother? Wait…what gift?"

Pegasus nodded absently. "The gift of interacting with Duel Spirits."

Joey groaned. "I really don't think I can handle thins kinda thing right now."

"That's quite all right. We have time," said Pegasus. "How is your mother, by the way?"

"She's…dead," answered the blond, head dropping.

"Akina's dead?" Pegasus gasped.

Joey's head shot up. "Ya…didn't know?"

"No. I thought…that she'd just run away to protect you. I can't believe she's actually gone."

Seto stared at Joey, not being able to handle seeing such pain etched in his face. "That's enough talk for now. I think he's had enough," said Seto as they arrived at the mansion.

Pegasus got out of the limo, Seto following suit, with Joey close behind.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," said Pegasus.

Entering the mansion, Seto helped Joey upstairs to his bedroom and sat him on the bed, kneeling in front of him. "Joey? You should change and then you can go to bed and get some rest."

Joey looked in Seto's concerned eyes, making him feel as if the blond was burning a hole into his soul. Ever so slowly, Joey wrapped his arms around Seto's neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. Pulling away, he said, "Make love to me, Seto."

The brunet had not been expecting that. He didn't know how to react! "Joey, I don't think that's such a good idea right now. I mean, you were al-"

Joey silenced him by pulling Seto into another searing kiss. "Please, Seto. Make love to me. I want this. I've gone through so much pain. I want to start havin' happy memories. And I want them to start with bein' yours and only yours. Please?" he said, giving Seto a light kiss on the lips.

He searched Joey's ruby eyes for any sign of fear, but saw only love. "Okay. I love you. But if you want me to stop, just say so and I will."

"I won't…because I love ya, Seto. And I trust ya."

* * *

Seto collapsed on top of Joey and kissed him gently on the forehead. They were both extremely sweaty and incredibly tired, but remarkably satisfied. Withdrawing himself, Seto rolled them over so that Joey cuddled against his chest.

"I love ya, Seto," Joey murmured, drifting off to sleep.

"I love you, too, Joey," Seto replied lovingly.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 20**

Ryou and Yugi sat in the living room, trying to get the next part of the script ready before Bakura and Marik started making a ruckus from being bored.

"We need peace and quiet in order to work, 'Kura. If you step out of line even once, you're sleeping on the floor for the next month…celibate. Now, please behave?" Ryou begged sweetly, wrapping his arms around Bakura's neck.

He knew that he couldn't resist Ryou when he did that, so he gave in…but barely. "Fine. I'll just sit around here until you're finished," he grumbled miserably.

"Thank you, 'Kura. Now, Yug. Let's continue, shall we?"

"All right. But you know what? I'm actually quite surprised that Mrs. Yumi didn't try to stop us or anything," commented Yugi.

"Now that you mention it, I don't even remember seeing Mrs. Yumi when we performed the last time. I wonder-" Ryou cut himself off when he noticed both Bakura and Marik pale, having utterly horrified expressions on their faces.

They'd left Mrs. Yumi tied and gagged back in the theatre!

And since Bakura and Marik really didn't want to get into trouble with their Hikaris, they decided to…remedy the situation.

"Ryou! We're…going to go and get out of your hair for a bit. We promise we'll be good," said Bakura hastily.

"Yes! We'll be perfect angels!" agreed Marik with a wide grin.

"Bye!"

"See ya!"

And the two of them fled the Kaiba Mansion, running as fast as they could to Domino Theatre to rescue Mrs. Yumi.

"I wonder what that was all about?" asked Ryou.

"I have no idea," answered Yugi.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act III, Scene I – Florence – The Duke's Palace_

The Duke of Florence/Tristan entered the stage, attended by two Frenchmen and a troop of soldiers.

"Have you heard the primary reasons for this war? Whose great decision has so many men thirsting for blood?" asked the Duke/Tristan.

"Your grace's reason for the quarrel seems to be a holy one, but black and fearful on his opposition," answered the First Lord.

"I just can't believe that the French King refuses to help," said the Duke/Tristan, expressing his astonishment.

"Well, my good lord, the younger lords will soon come to Florence to exercise their talents in military exploits," quipped the Second Lord.

"Be it his pleasure," said the Duke/Tristan.

"But I am sure the younger of our nature, that excess on their ease, will eventually come here," added the First Lord.

The Duke/Tristan sighed. "And welcome they shall be. And all of the honors that can fly from us shall settle on these younger ones. You know your places well. Who better to fall than them? Tomorrow we go to the field."

And with that, they left the stage.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Backstage)_**

"That had to be one of the shortest scenes in the history of mankind," said Tristan as he reached backstage.

"It was originally short to begin with. We didn't have the time to extend it any," declared Yugi.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act III, Scene II – Rousillon – The Count's Palace_

The Countess/Yugi and Lavache/Bakura entered the stage quickly.

"I am quite pleased with how things have turned out. My only regret is that my son, Bertram, has not come home with his bride, Helena," said the Countess/Yugi.

"Bertram seemed to be very melancholic with the arrangement," replied Lavache/Bakura.

"Please tell me, by what observance?"

"Why, Bertram will be miserable about anything. His boots, his ruff, when he asks questions, when he picks his teeth, you name it, he bickers about it."

"Hm. Let me see what he has written and when he will return home," said the Countess/Yugi, opening the letter.

"I have dropped my intention of marrying Isbel since I have been at court. I find that there is a great difference between the Isbels of the country and the Isbels of the court," added Lavache/Bakura quickly.

"What have we here?" the Countess/Yugi asked contemplatively, not really listening to Lavache/Bakura.

"Even that you have there," Lavache/Bakura mumbled before leaving the stage.

The Countess/Yugi glanced over Bertram's letter. It read: 'I have sent you a daughter-in-law. She cured the king and has undone me. I have wedded her, but not bedded her. Plus, I have sworn to make the _not_ eternal. You will also hear that I have run away, and it is true. I will therefore remain away. My duty to you. Your unfortunate son, Bertram.'

"Bertram, why have you done this? Your foolish actions will surely anger the King," the Countess/Yugi exclaimed.

Lavache/Bakura chose this moment to hurriedly reappear onstage. "Oh, Madam! There is news between two soldiers and my young lady!"

"What's the matter?"

"Well, there is some comfort in the news. Your son will not be killed as soon as I thought he would be," Lavache/Bakura replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why should he be killed?" shrieked the Countess/Yugi.

"I am sorry to say that your son has run away, but the ones coming here may be able to tell you more than I," he said before leaving once more.

Helena/Joey entered the stage with two gentlemen.

"Save you, good Madam," the First Gentleman replied gently.

"Madam! Bertram is gone! Forever gone!" Helena/Joey cried desperately to the Countess/Yugi.

"Do not say so!" declared the Second Gentleman.

"You must be patient, sweet Helena. I have experienced so many situations of grief and joy that they have lost the capacity to move me excessively," the Countess/Yugi said to Helena/Joey. Turning to the gentlemen, the Countess/Yugi asked, "Do you know where Bertram has gone?"

"Your son has gone off to serve the Duke of Florence in battle," answered the Second Gentleman.

Helena/Joey showed the Countess/Yugi the letter she received from Bertram. It read: 'I will never be your husband until you can obtain the ring I always wear on my finger and you become pregnant with my child. I will also never return to France for as long as you are alive.'

"Did you bring this letter, gentlemen?" asked the Countess/Yugi.

"Yes, Madam. And we apologize for its sorrowful contents…and Parolles is accompanying and advising Bertram," answered the First Gentleman sheepishly.

The Countess/Yugi, infuriated at Bertram's conduct said, "He does not deserve Helena's love! And as for Parolles, he is a tainted fellow full of wickedness! He is corrupting my son by encouraging him in his waywardness!" Breathing heavily from the outburst, the Countess/Yugi addressed the gentlemen. "Since you are returning to Florence, tell Bertram that he will _never_ again regain the honor he has lost by abandoning his wife, Helena! Give this letter to Bertram! I am disowning him!" the Countess/Yugi snapped, leaving with the gentleman.

Helena/Joey, left alone, ran around the stage recklessly, throwing anything and everything in sight before collapsing into a sobbing heap in the middle of the stage.

"Bertram says that he will not return until he has no wife! He has nothin' in France until he has no wife! It's my fault that my dear Bertram is in the war. I want him to be safe, but I truly believe that he will be killed in battle…and it will be all my fault," Helena/Joey sobbed bitterly.

Gradually calming down, Helena/Joey added, "I desperately want him to return to Rousillon, away from battle. But since it is my _presence_ in France that keeps him away…I will sneak away at night and…hope that he will consider it safe for him to return."

Slowly rising and casting a broken glance out toward the audience, Helena/Joey turned around and left the stage.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act III, Scene III – Florence – Before the Duke's Palace_

There was a flourish and sounding of trumpets and drums when the Duke/Tristan, Bertram/Seto, and Parolles/Duke entered the stage, which was now the court at Florence, along with some soldiers.

The Duke/Tristan faced Bertram/Seto and said, "I now appoint you as general of the cavalry. I invest my trust, and my love, in you."

"Although it is a heavy responsibility, I will make an effort to fulfill it to the best of my ability. And I will also venture to the very edge of danger," replied Bertram/Seto.

Satisfied with Bertram's/Seto's reply, the Duke/Tristan said, "I wish you good fortune in your endeavors."

"I appeal to Mars, the god of war. From this day onward, I will be the lover of the drums of war and the hater…of love," he finished, and then he appeared thoughtful.

Then everyone left the stage, preparing for the next scene.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Backstage)_**

As Seto started walking past Joey, he said, "Although it is a heavy responsibility, I will make an effort to fulfillit to the best of my ability, and I will also ventureto the very edge of danger, especially if it will make you happy. Because I love you more than you'll ever know."

And he just walked away, leaving Joey to process his words. It was then that Joey realized something. Words truly meant something to Seto.

Joey, on the other hand, felt he needed physical actions in order to know how someone felt, but for Seto, it was the complete opposite. In some ways, this made Seto completely vulnerable, naive even. He would believe what he was told because he trusted the words of those who were close to him.

And that realization touched him more than anything.

* * *

"How do ya and Bakura do it?" Joey asked Ryou abruptly.

"I'm…not sure what you mean, Joey."

"What I mean is, how do ya and Bakura maintain a…a lastin' relationship?"

Ryou's eyes widened for a moment then refocused on his friend. "I assume you're asking me this because your sudden relationship with Kaiba?" he inquired.

"Sort of. We…kinda had sex last night and haven't really talked since then. And now I wonder if we just went too fast or somethin'."

Ryou sighed and averted his eyes, trying to find the right words to say to him. "You need to talk, and I think there is still a lot the two of you need to discuss. And you can't just expect Kaiba to understand how you're feeling or what you need from him. The same goes Kaiba. He can't expect you to understand what he's going through or what his needs are if you don't communicate. It seems you're lacking in this area right now. You've reached that point of feeling awkward because you've shared the closing thing you can with each other.

"In the case of myself and Bakura, I need to _hear_ from his own lips that he loves me because he _shows_ me how much he cares all the time. And with Bakura, my saying that I love him isn't enough. He responds well to all the little things I do for him: a hug, a kiss, making him dinner, that sort of thing. If you and Kaiba can find a balance between those things, then your relationship will flourish. But _both_ of you need to make an effort. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Ryou's outlook wasn't condescending in any way. He made a valid point. They needed to really talk.

"I understand. Seto's like ya. He needs to hear from me that I love him; he needs to hear me say how much I care for him. But with me, I feel the need for someone to show me they care by doin' things. I guess when I just hear the words 'I love you' so many times, I feel like they're not true. But when Seto says them, he truly means it, right? Every time?" Joey asked sadly, feeling even guiltier.

Ryou smiled encouragingly at him. "Yes. Every time. That's just who he is, Joey. So, what are you going to do now?"

"I'm gonna talk to him after this act. I need time to think," Joey said finally. He knew that he'd felt loved after they'd had sex last night. And now, he supposed, Seto had been expecting him to say something to him about it. But he hadn't.

Maybe that was why the brunet hadn't really spoken to him. However, Seto had made the first move in speaking. Now it was his turn.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act III, Scene IV – Rousillon – The Count's Palace_

The Countess/Yugi, appearing quite upset because of Helena's/Joey's midnight departure, and the Steward entered the stage gradually.

"Alas! Why has Helena sent me a farewell letter? May you please read it again?" the Countess/Yugi said sorrowfully.

The Steward held up the letter and began reading. "'I am so sorry to leave you, but I must. I am the one who is responsible for this entire mess and I only hope that Bertram will now feel free to come home. I have gone off on a pilgrimage and I will never return. I wish you the best. Helena.'"

The Countess/Yugi strode around the stage angrily. "Oh! Bertram enrages me so! I can sense the pain and hurt in Helena's dear words. If only I had known she would have left. I would have persuaded her not to."

"Pardon me, Madam. If I had given you this overnight, Helena might have been overtaken, and yet she writes that pursuing her would be in vain," replied the Steward.

"I want you to send a message to Bertram. He is such an unworthy husband to treat sweet Helena so. My grief is so unbearable. But dispatch the most reliable messenger you have and let him inform Bertram of Helena's departure. Hopefully, when he hears that she is gone, he will return home. And I hope that Helena, hearing that Bertram returns home, will come back as well because of the pure love she feels for him. Go now. Inform the messenger to tell Bertram of Helena's leaving," said the Countess/Yugi desolately as the both of them left the stage.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Backstage)_**

"He needs time to think."

Seto was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of Ryou's voice. "What?"

"Joey needs time to think," Ryou continued.

Seto knitted his eyebrows in confusion.

Ryou laughed for a split second then said, "You two just need to talk, all right? Give him time to come to you."

* * *

**End Chapter**


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 21**

"Seto-"

"Joey-"

They both stopped at once, seeing as how they spoke at the same time.

"Go ahead," urged Joey, looking at Seto hopefully.

"I just wanted to say that I really am sorry if I made you feel…awkward, I suppose," Seto said softly.

"I'm sorry, too," Joey blurted, "and I just wanna let ya know that I wanna try to be more considerate of what you're sayin' and how ya do things. I'll try harder to listen to ya, too. I kinda think we both do."

Seto smiled. "And, since I was a inconsiderate in terms of…you know, I was thinking we could do something tomorrow. You can choose for us to do whatever you'd like," Seto offered.

"Okay."

"All right," Seto replied with a smile.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act III, Scene V – Florence – Outside the Walls of Florence_

An old Widow of Florence/Malik, her daughter Diana/Ryou, Mariana/Tea, along with some citizens, entered the stage.

"No. Come. For if they do approach the city, we will lose sight of them," said the Widow/Malik.

"They say that the French Count, Bertram, has done a most honorable service," stated Diana/Ryou.

"Well, it is reported that Bertram has taken their greatest commander and that with his own bare hands, he killed the Duke's brother," replied the Widow/Malik.

"Diana, you should be cautious of the great French Count, Bertram, for he is pursuing you. You must beware because a maiden's honor is her unsullied name," urged Mariana/Tea.

"I know that you, Mariana, have been solicited by a gentleman companion of Bertram," said the Widow/Malik.

"Ugh!" replied Mariana/Tea disgustedly. "The man is Parolles. He has been coming around with Bertram. Parolles seems to be influencing the young Count to act in a way that is less than gentlemanly. Stay away from them, Diana. I hope I do not need to advise you further, but I hope your own grace will keep you where you are. There is no further danger known than modesty which is so lost."

"You do not need to fear for me," answered Diana/Ryou.

"I certainly hope so," added the Widow/Malik.

Suddenly, Helena/Joey appeared, disguised as a pilgrim.

"Look! There's a pilgrim. I wonder where she is headed. I'll question her," began the Widow/Malik. "Pilgrim! Where are you headed?"

"To Saint Jacques le Grand. Where might I find a place to stay?" inquired Helena/Joey.

"There is a lodge at Saint Francis," replied the Widow/Malik.

"Is this the way?" Helena/Joey asked, pointing ahead.

"No, it isn't. You need to go-" The Widow/Malik was interrupted by the sound of marching in the distance. "Pilgrim. I can escort you to Saint Francis after the soldiers come through the town."

"Thank ya," said Helena/Joey.

"Did you come from France?" inquired the Widow/Malik.

"Yes."

"A noble and valiant Count from France will be among these soldiers," the Widow/Malik continued.

"Who is this Count?" asked Helena/Joey.

"The Count is named Bertram. Do you know of him?" questioned Diana/Ryou.

"No, I do not. But I have heard of him," Helena/Joey answered, pretending not to know who he was.

"It is rumored that Bertram has come to Florence to escape from an arranged marriage. And it is said that he detests his wife. Do you think this is true?" Diana/Ryou asked.

"I have heard the story and I do know that it is true."

Diana/Ryou sighed, saying, "It must be terrible to be a detested wife."

"Hm…Bertram's wife must have a heavy heart and be in need of help," the Widow/Malik remarked sympathetically. "And Bertram has attempted to seduce my daughter, Diana, but she has kept her guard."

"Is that so?" Helena/Joey replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Indeed, it is!" exclaimed Diana/Ryou.

"So now they come," groaned the Widow/Malik as Bertram/Seto, Parolles/Duke, and the rest of the army entered the stage, the sound of drumbeats in the air.

They looked over the soldiers before Helena/Joey asked, "Which one is Bertram?"

"Him, with the plume. It is a pity that a man so gallant is so dishonest," remarked Diana/Ryou.

"Hn…I like him well," commented Helena/Joey.

"I blame Parolles. If I were married to him, I would poison the vile rascal," said Diana/Ryou.

"And which one is he?"

"The jack-an-apes with scarves. Why is he melancholy?" voiced Diana/Ryou.

"Maybe he was hurt in battle." Helena/Joey sounded quite hopeful.

"Lose our drum! Well!" announced Parolles/Duke to the crowd.

"He's shrewdly vexed at something. Oh, no! He's seen us!" shrieked Diana/Ryou.

"Leave! Go on! Leave!" hissed the Widow/Malik, willing them away.

Soon, Bertram/Seto, Parolles/Duke, and the army exited the stage triumphantly.

"Thank goodness. They're gone. Come, pilgrim. Let me show you your lodgings," said the Widow/Malik.

"Thank ya very much," replied Helena/Joey. "Would ya like to join me for dinner tonight?"

"That would be wonderful!" they answered happily.

And then they left the stage in a hurry.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Backstage)_**

"You were good out there, Joey," Seto commented sheepishly.

"So were ya."

"All I did was walk by! I didn't even have any lines! Why didn't they give me any lines?"

Joey laughed hard at that before replying. "I don't think Bertram had any lines in this scene," he said.

Seto felt a little embarrassed for not having known that. "Oh," he said quietly.

"And, Seto?"

"Yes, Joey?"

"Ya can call 'Puppy,' ya know. You've been callin' me 'Joey' this whole time. I miss hearin' ya call me 'Puppy,'" Joey remarked, looking at Seto cutely.

He blushed and swooped down to give Joey a quick peck on the lips. "I thought you didn't like me referring to you as a dog."

"Well…'Puppy' doesn't sound like an insult to me. It's not is it?" When Seto shook his head, Joey added, "I like your lovey-dovey pet name for me. Hm…maybe I should give ya one." Joey put a hand to his chin and thought for a moment.

Seto braced himself when Joey had a devilish smirk on his face. That couldn't be good.

"I know!" Joey exclaimed excitedly. "How about…Binky?"

"BINKY?" Seto roared, making Joey cringe and cover his ears. "Out of everything you could call me, you call me Binky? What kind of a name is that?"

"What? Ya don't like it?" Joey asked, frowning slightly.

"No, I don't like it! It's embarrassing!"

"Oh, and Puppy isn't?"

"Well, okay. I get the idea. Can you come up with something other than Binky?" Seto asked sheepishly. Binky wasn't something he felt fit him very well, especially since he was an all powerful CEO. But it was Joey's decision…kind of. "Anything else?"

"Do ya really mean anythin'?" Joey asked, preparing to put his plan into motion.

Seto sighed and closed his eyes. "Anything." Anything had to be better than Binky.

"Okay," Joey said, smirking.

Seto noticed this, thinking, _Great. Here it comes._

"From now on, your nickname will be…Dragon."

Seto's head shot up in surprise. "Dragon?"

Joey nodded and wrapped his arms around Seto's neck. "Yes. And do ya know why?" When Seto shook his head no, Joey added, "Because you're strong, powerful, and protective. Ya roar when you're angry and ya hum when you're pleased. Ya do everythin' in your power to make sure I'm happy, even if it means you're not. Ya would sacrifice yourself just to ensure my happiness…and I hate that ya would do that."

"Puppy-"

"No! Let me finish. I don't want ya to completely go out of your way just to please me, especially if it means it's hurtin' ya in the process. I know ya wanna take care of me, but I should be takin' care of ya as well. You've done more for me than anyone ever has, but I've done nothin' for ya in return. It's not fair. I hadn't realized that until Ryou pointed it out. I know I don't say this enough, but I love ya. I love ya so much, Seto. But I got so wrapped up in my own emotions that I neglected yours. And I really want to make that up to ya." Joey was actually starting to cry now, so he buried his face in the crook of Seto's neck.

Seto rubbed the blond's back and pulled him closer, taken aback by his honest words. He'd never been taken care of before…by anyone for as long as he could remember. What was that like? And everything Joey had said was so heartfelt. Hearing Joey express himself in such a way, admitting his true feelings, seemed to lift a great weight off Seto's shoulders.

"I think I'd like for you to take care of me, Puppy. No one's done that for me before. As long as I get to look after you, too, I'm happy."

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act III, Scene VI – Camp Before Florence_

Bertram/Seto entered the stage along with two French Lords.

"My good Lord, Parolles is a despicable man," said the Second Lord.

"Exactly," agreed the First Lord. "He brags to everything that moves. Not to mention his…_swaggering_."

"Indeed," replied the Second Lord.

"Do you think I have been truly deceived by him so much?" asked Bertram/Seto.

"My Lord, Parolles is a most extraordinary coward and an infinite and continual liar! He breaks his promises hourly! That man does not possess a _single_ good quality!" exclaimed the First Lord, eagerly trying to convince Bertram/Seto.

"We should test him so that we may expose Parolles' true nature. This way, you will see the error in your friendship with him before something terrible happens," suggested the Second Lord.

"What particular way should Parolles be tried?" inquired Bertram/Seto anxiously.

"Hm…I propose that Parolles should be allowed to recapture the drum taken by the enemy in a recent battle," offered the First Lord.

"I will suddenly surprise Parolles with a troop of Florentines and pretend to be the enemy," began the Second Lord. "We will blind him and trick him and lead him to believe that he is being carried to the enemy camp when he is actually placed in our own tents. I only ask that you be present, my Lord, at Parolles' examination. I am quite confident that Parolles will betray you and reveal important information to the people he assumes are his enemies."

"I support this proposal," the First Lord replied enthusiastically. "I think it will convince you, my Lord, and it will also be very funny. Besides, Parolles always boasts of his strategies for recovering the drum. This will give him his chance. Oh, look! Here he comes now!"

At that moment, Parolles/Duke entered the stage.

"Oh, for the love of laughter, let him fetch off his drum in any hand," whispered the Second Lord to Bertram/Seto.

"You know, recovering the drum would surely be a great achievement," said Bertram/Seto.

"Yes, it would. It would be a cause for heroic celebrations," agreed the First Lord.

As expected, Parolles/Duke took the bait. "I, alone, can get the drum back!" boasted Parolles/Duke, leaving.

"He sure is confident," stated the Second Lord. Bertram/Seto and the First Lord nodded in agreement.

"Parolles' confidence is just a sign of his good intentions and honest capabilities," said Bertram/Seto unworriedly.

"Why does the fact that Parolles is a boaster and a liar not seem real to you?" exclaimed the Second Lord.

"Well, I must prepare the trap for Parolles," announced the First Lord, leaving the stage.

"I want to show you the young virgin, Diana, I have been speaking of, of whom I have been relentlessly pursuing. But the girl's main fault is her honesty, because she keeps turning me down," Bertram/Seto said suddenly.

The First Lord did a double take. "But you said she's honest!"

"And that is her fault. Will you accompany me on my next visit to Diana?" asked Bertram/Seto.

"Um…with all my heart, my Lord," he replied reluctantly as they left the stage together.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Backstage)_**

"Ya pull off bein' naïve quite well," said Joey as Seto appeared backstage.

"I'm a very good actor," Seto replied.

"So I'm findin' out." Joey wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing, because it could mean that Seto acted around him.

"Puppy?" Seto asked meekly, a light blush flaring up on his cheeks.

"Yeah, Seto?" Joey was curious as to why the brunet was so embarrassed.

"Can you tell me you love me again? Only this time, call me Dragon when you do."

Now it was Joey's turn to blush. Maybe talking to Seto with sweet words was a pretty good thing after all. It looked like Joey had a lot more to do in order to really make up for how he'd treated Seto before.

"I love ya, Dragon."

Seto's face turned bright red when he heard those words pass Joey's lips. 'I love ya, Dragon' made him tingle all over, and he felt really special now that he had a pet name that only Joey would call him.

"I love you as well, Puppy," he replied.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act III, Scene VII – Florence – The Widow's House_

Helena/Joey and the Widow/Malik entered the stage, both appearing quite wound up.

"I am tellin' ya the truth! I am really Bertram's wife!" exclaimed Helena/Joey, trying to convince the Widow/Malik.

"I'm sorry, but I highly doubt that," replied the Widow/Malik skeptically.

Exasperated, Helen/Joey said, "I do not know how else to assure ya that I am tellin' the truth!"

"Fine. But I do not wish to get involved with your plan to win Bertram back," the Widow/Malik stated, suspicion clearly evident.

"Take this purse of gold coins in exchange for your help with additional payment when my plan is finished," Helena/Joey said, offering the Widow/Malik a purse of gold. "When Bertram comes around again, your daughter, Diana, should pretend to yield his advances and demand from him the ring he always wears on his finger. Since the ring is a family heirloom that has been handed down from one generation to another, Bertram will be reluctant to part with it, but he will eventually do so in order to win Diana. She should fix a time and place for a secret meetin' between the two of them, and when Bertram arrives, I will take Diana's place in bed with Bertram."

"Oh! Now I see your purpose!" exclaimed the Widow/Malik. "You are quite the clever girl, aren't you? Not only will you save my daughter's virtue, but you will trick your husband into sleeping with you so that you can claim him as yours! Brilliant!"

Pleased with their plan, they left the stage, acting as if they were preparing to put it in motion.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Backstage)_**

"This play is so awesome! What are we doing for the next act?" Tea asked excitedly.

Ryou just smiled. "You'll just have to wait. I'll also need to have a talk with the crew who designed the set so that they can make a little addition," he said, giving Seto a suggestive wink.

Seto just blinked a few times before it dawned on him what Ryou was implying.

"No! You are not doing a bedroom scene on stage! I will not be a part of this!" he screamed.

"Is that true, Ryou? Are we going to make a bedroom scene?" Yugi asked innocently.

"Kaiba, it won't be a graphic bedroom scene, but there will be a bed and a little…well, I'll leave it up to your imagination. Don't look at me like that! The stage lights will be dimmed!" Ryou argued.

"I'm still not doing it," Seto grumbled.

"Oh, so would ya rather I do the scene with someone else?" Joey said, placing his hands on his hips.

"I didn't say that! And you sure as hell aren't going to be doing that scene with anyone else! You're mine! You'll be doing the scene with me and only me!" roared Seto, heaving slightly.

"Thank you for agreeing to the scene, Kaiba," Ryou replied with a small smirk.

Well, damn. Seto had fallen into that trap a little too easily.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 22**

**_Kaiba Mansion_**

"I've been thinking," started Seto. "How about you take a day off for yourself instead of it being us time? You haven't really had a chance to relax by yourself, especially since Serenity and Matt popped up."

"A day for myself?" echoed Joey. Just what was he supposed to do by himself. "Okay?"

"It's just one day. And I'll watch over everyone while you go out and enjoy yourself."

Joey was seriously having second thoughts about this whole 'day off' thing. Everyone else had left the mansion. That left Seto, Serenity, Matt, and Mokuba. And Joey wasn't too sure about leaving three minors in the hands of an impatient CEO. It didn't seem like it was a good idea. It had seemed like a good idea, but had he really been thinking clearly?

Of course not.

So he just stood there by the front door fiddling with his hands. Seto couldn't take care of them all by himself, could he?

Joey was about to voice his concerns when Seto marched up to him and opened the front door.

"Everything's going to be fine, Puppy. You'll see," said Seto reassuringly.

_Where have I heard that before?_ Joey thought sarcastically. He sighed. "Are ya sure, Seto? I mean, we can all do somethin' together or-"

"No," Seto interrupted firmly. "I want you to have some time for yourself. I want you to do something for _you_. Go to the mall and treat yourself to something. Splurge a little," he urged.

"But…I don't have any money, Seto," Joey responded quietly, his eyes darting to the floor. His head snapped up when he felt something thrust into his hands. "What's this?" he asked, fingering the rectangular object he now held.

"My credit card," Seto replied. "Do something nice for yourself, Puppy. You deserve it. And don't worry about how much you're spending. For once, just do some shopping without looking at the price tags."

Joey's eyes widened. Shop without looking at price tags? That was going to be harder than actually buying things with Seto's credit card.

He glanced over the brunet's shoulder and looked at everyone standing in a calm and collective row. They seemed well-behaved enough. Giving in, Joey replied, "Okay. I'll go. But the second ya need me for anythin', call me. I have my cell phone on at all times. My number is even on speed dial on your phone."

Seto rolled his eyes and gently pushed Joey through the doorway. "Go. Have fun. Enjoy yourself."

Joey huffed in defeat. "Fine. I will. Bye. I'll see ya later this afternoon, okay?"

"Bye, Puppy," Seto said, closing the door behind Joey. Turning around to face Serenity, Matt, and Mokuba, all of his organs dropped down to his gut and he began to tremble.

They were gone.

All of them.

* * *

**_The Misadventures of Matt and Mokuba_**

"What do you think we can get away with? With your brother in charge and everything?" Matt asked curiously. They were wandering aimlessly around the mansion, subconsciously trying to get Seto's adrenaline pumping.

"I don't know. But we can find out," Mokuba said impishly. "How about we go raid the kitchen for junk food?"

Matt smiled and linked arms with Mokuba. "You have a devious mind, my friend. Let's go!"

And with that, they scampered off toward the kitchen.

"You find anything good yet?" asked Mokuba.

"Nope," replied Matt.

They were rummaging through the kitchen in search of anything they could consider junk food. Having no such luck in the places they could reach, the two troublemakers decided to raise the stakes.

"What about up there?" Matt inquired, indicating a fairly large cabinet above the sink. They couldn't quite reach it by themselves.

"Hm…okay. Give me a boost," said Mokuba.

Matt went over to him and gave him a firm boost so that Mokuba could climb onto the counter. Once he was there, he stood up and opened the cabinet and peered inside.

"Well? See anything good?"

"Oh, yeah. We hit the jackpot!" announced Mokuba as he started tossing down chips, candy, sodas, and other numerous junk food items down to Matt. Wiping out the cabinet, Mokuba hopped down onto the floor and started opening a bag of chips.

Matt grabbed two cans of soda and handed one to his partner in crime and they opened them, soda spraying about the kitchen.

"Cheers!" laughed Matt.

"Cheers!" replied Mokuba in the same manner as they clinked their cans together.

* * *

**_Kaiba Mansion_**

"Where the fuck is Serenity?" Seto muttered under his breath as stormed through the mansion. Briskly walking up the stairs, Seto knocked on Serenity's door.

"Come in," came Serenity's soft answer.

"Thank goodness," Seto mumbled under his breath. He opened the door and found Serenity sitting on her bed, reading a book.

She looked up when she saw Seto standing there. "Is…everything okay?"

"Um…I might have lost Matt and Mokuba," Seto replied sheepishly. "Can you help me find them?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm reading. I've gotten to the really good part!"

And with that, Seto fled the room in a panic.

* * *

**_The Misadventures of Matt and Mokuba_**

"Ugh…I don't feel so good," groaned Matt, clutching his aching stomach.

"Me neither," replied Mokuba, lying sprawled on his back on the floor.

The kitchen was a disaster. There were about ten empty soda cans, several decimated bags of chips, and about three pounds worth of candy had been wiped out by the two of them.

So Matt and Mokuba weren't looking too hot.

Matt sat up suddenly, looking positively green. "I think I'm gonna throw up."

Mokuba tried to scramble away from him. "Well don't do it on me!" But by the time he said that, Matt had already been in the process of puking, and sprayed chunks of everything on the floor, which Mokuba then slid on in his attempt to get away from Matt.

"Now I think I'm gonna be sick." And Mokuba threw up on the kitchen floor as well.

* * *

**_Kaiba Mansion_**

"Where the hell are they?" Seto got angrier by the minute. He'd searched every room upstairs and didn't see a sign of anyone. "Maybe I should try downstairs," he mumbled.

Descending the steps as quickly as he could, he headed toward the living room.

That was, until the sound of puking that came from the kitchen made him stop in his tracks and turn in that general direction. Seto slowly approached the kitchen and when he reached it, he stopped again, closed his eyes, and braced himself.

Swinging the door open, Seto gingerly stepped inside.

And right into fresh vomit.

He felt his stomach churn and opened his eyes, immediately taking a step back, his mouth dropping open in complete and utter horror.

Matt and Mokuba lay crumpled on the floor surrounded by heaps of food, trash, and vomit.

"What the hell happened in here?" Seto roared, glaring at the two boys. They cringed at the deafening sound of Seto's voice.

Upon further inspection of them, Seto's glare softened into an expression of concern. They looked absolutely horrible. _What am I supposed to do?_

As Seto struggled with what he was supposed to do next, his cell phone started ringing. Pulling it out, he flipped it open. "Kaiba," Seto answered.

"_Seto? It's Joey. I just wanted to let ya know that I'll be home in about ten minutes or so_," said Joey.

"Ten minutes?" Seto exclaimed.

"_Yeah. Is that a problem?_" Joey asked suspiciously.

"No! It's not a problem at all! I just didn't expect to have you home so soon," Seto explained.

"_Seto, it's 6:00 P.M. I've been gone for about nine hours_," replied Joey. "_Is everythin' okay?_"

_Nine hours? Have I really been searching for the boys for that long? _"Yes, Puppy. Everything's fine. You don't have to worry about a thing. I have everything under control…bye!"

How the hell was he supposed to fix all of this before Joey got home?

* * *

"Seto?"

His head snapped up when he recognized his Puppy's voice, his eyes widening in horror when he actually saw Joey standing before him. "Joey! You're home!"

The blond gave him a weird look and relieved Seto of his tiny burden after he placed down his shopping bags. "Where is everyone, Seto?"

"Uh…around," Seto replied. "Wouldn't you be more comfortable upstairs?"

"Upstairs?" Now Joey was thoroughly confused. What was Seto hiding?

"Seto? Where's everyone else?" Joey asked, panic lacing his voice.

Seto opened his mouth to talk, but a new arrival beat him to it. "We're here, Joey," announced Serenity. Matt and Mokuba followed her, although, they didn't look very well.

"What happened to you two?" Joey asked, indicating Matt and Mokuba.

"They raided the kitchen for junk food and got sick…all over the floor," Seto answered for them. He was finally on his feet, looking quite…charcoaled, and he headed toward them.

Joey looked them all over and sighed and began to reflect on his entire situation. They were his family. They needed him. Seto couldn't take care of them by himself. He needed Joey's help, just as much as he needed Seto's.

He loved them.

And he hoped they loved him as well.

Abandoning his thoughts, he noticed that they all seemed to be staring at him nervously. They thought he was mad at them.

"What am I gonna do with ya?" Joey said with a slight smile. "Why don't all of ya get cleaned up? And then I'll give ya the presents I bought for ya today? How does that sound?"

"Presents?" Serenity asked curiously. Matt's jaw dropped while Mokuba just gaped in shock. Seto just stood there dumbfounded.

"Get your scrawny butts upstairs and clean up. We'll meet in the livin' room and I'll give ya your gifts. That goes for ya, too, Seto," Joey implored.

Trying to accept the fact they'd been forgiven so easily, they scurried upstairs, anxious to see what Joey had gotten for them.

* * *

**_Living Room_**

Seto was the first to arrive in the living room. He spotted Joey going through bags, sorting them out, he supposed.

"Hey, Puppy," Seto began quietly. "I'm sorry. I screwed up again, didn't I?"

"No. Ya didn't screw up," Joey replied, walking toward Seto. He pulled him into a tight hug and kissed him on the lips. "Ya just realized that takin' care of three kids by yourself is close to impossible."

"Yeah. And they're evil."

"What now?"

"We're taking care of three demon children."

Joey laughed. "Oh, stop that. They're not demon children. Well, Matt and Mokuba might be."

"Matt and Mokuba might be what?" asked Serenity.

Seto and Joey turned in the direction of her voice. Everyone was here.

"Nothin'. Okay. Everybody have a seat and I'll give ya your presents," announced Joey. Everyone's eyes brightened at the prospect of presents as they took a seat on the couch. "Who wants to go first?"

"Me!" shouted Serenity. "What?" she asked when she received blank stares.

Joey laughed and handed her two bags. Serenity took them. In the first one she found a bunch of novels by her favorite authors and some cute outfits. "Thanks, Joey. Do you mind if I go to bed now?"

"Sure," replied Joey, giving her a kiss before she left. "I guess Matt's next then. Here ya go, kiddo," Joey said, handing a large bag to Matt.

Matt took it hesitantly. He hadn't really received any _gifts_ before, so he wasn't sure what to expect. Opening the bag, he peered inside. "Whoa!" Matt pulled out a 3DS and a few games to go with it. There were even some new clothes for him, too.

Matt put everything back in his bag and set it down then hurled himself into Joey's arms. "Thank you so much, Joey. I've never gotten presents before. Thank you," said Matt, sniffing as he hugged his older brother.

_He's never gotten presents before? Just what did your mother do to ya two?_ Joey thought helplessly. "You're welcome. I love ya, my little one," he said, giving Matt a kiss on the head before releasing him.

Matt sat back down on the couch next to Mokuba.

"Ya want yours now?" Joey asked Mokuba, who still appeared touched by the brotherly interaction.

He nodded and Joey handed him a large bag, too. Since Mokuba already had a 3DS and just about every game system there was, he found a variety of two-player games for all his systems, which meant he could play with Matt. There were even some new clothes for him as well.

"Thanks, Joey. Can I get a hug, too?" Mokuba asked sheepishly.

Joey laughed. "Of course ya can." And Mokuba leaped from his seat and hugged Joey.

Seto watched on lovingly. It seemed so…wonderful. It would be interesting to see what it would be like around the holidays. Wait…the holidays? Since when did he think about that? It was probably since he had more than just Mokuba in his life now. He finally had a family of his own to share these spectacular experiences with.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 23**

**_Seto's Bedroom (Morning)_**

Seto sighed, stretching fully before collapsing back onto the bed. Turning onto his stomach, he pressed his face into the empty pillow next to him.

Empty?

He shot up from the bed, the sheets pooling around his waist, and looked quickly around the room. His Puppy was nowhere in sight. He was just about to leave the room when he saw the door to his balcony open. Curious, Seto moved toward the door and peeked outside.

Joey was sitting on a chair, a warm blanket wrapped around his narrow shoulders. His knees were pulled up to his chin and he seemed to be staring off into space.

"Puppy?"

Joey's head snapped in the direction of Seto's deep voice, but he rapidly turned away, as if he were trying to avoid him.

This was _not _the reaction Seto had been expecting. Immediately taking initiative, he went up to Joey and sat on the ground in front of him, his eyes panning over the blond as if searching for the answer to his Puppy's sudden discomfort.

"Puppy, what's wrong?" Seto asked concernedly, placing his hands on Joey's hips and massaging him gently, trying to coax him into relaxing.

"Nothin's wrong," Joey responded distantly, shrugging off Seto. "I just want to be alone right now."

He wanted to be alone? Why?

Seto, not used to being brushed off so easily, wrapped his arms around Joey's waist and pulled him toward him. After a little bit of struggling, Joey consented and allowed the brunet to pull him down from the chair and into his lap.

"Now tell me what's wrong. Talk to me," Seto said firmly, a rigid frown on his handsome features.

"I just want time alone…to think…"

Seto sighed, his patience wearing quite thin. "Think about what?" When he remained silent, Seto turned Joey to face him. "Will you _please_ talk to me? I have no idea what's going on. What's bothering you?"

Joey lowered his eyes and buried his face in the crook of Seto's neck, embracing the momentarily stunned CEO tightly.

When he started to feel Joey's tears, he pulled his Puppy closer to him. "Puppy? What is it? You can tell me anything. You know that, right?"

"Of course, I know that," Joey replied, though it sounded quite muffled. Sniffing loudly, he pulled away and looked into Seto's startling blue eyes. "I need ya to promise me somethin', Seto," Joey demanded seriously.

Dumbfounded, Seto replied, "Sure. Anything."

"I'm serious, Seto. I need ya to promise me." When Seto nodded, Joey continued. "If…anythin' should happen to me, I want ya to take care of my brother and sister."

"What the hell? What do you mean if anything should happen to you?" Seto shouted, pulling Joey closer to him in a means to protect him from whatever threat might be out there.

"Seto. Don't make this any harder than it has to be. Just promise me. Promise me," Joey pleaded.

"No! Not until you tell me what the hell is going on!"

Joey averted his eyes before he spoke again. "Somethin' bad is comin'. I can feel it. And I don't know if I can stop it."

"Puppy," Seto started, his voice strained, "no one is asking you to do anything! You don't _have_ to do anything! Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?"

"I heard a voice again…early this mornin'. I think somethin' might happen today. I don't know."

Seto was momentarily rendered speechless. Another voice? "Did the voice sound threatening or-"

"How the hell are ya supposed to tell if somethin' is threatenin' when it's a _disembodied_ voice, Seto? Huh? Tell me! Because I sure as hell would like to know the answer!" Joey bellowed, pushing Seto away from him.

"I don't know!" Seto roared back. "But," he continued more quietly, "if something does happen, we'll face it together. You're not charging into the battlefield without me, especially if you're unsure about what's really going on. It _could_ be harmless. We can't let one little voice get in the way of us living our lives to the fullest, Puppy."

Joey hadn't thought of it like that. What if the voice he heard had been friendly? He had been practically asleep when he heard it. Maybe he'd dreamt it or something. But if he did, why did he feel like something bad was going to happen? Was it really just all in his head?

"So," began Seto, "I think we should do whatever it is you wanted to do today. And then tonight is our alone time, right?" he asked huskily, planting a light kiss on the side of Joey's soft lips.

"Hm," Joey giggled as he was pushed back onto the floor of the balcony, Seto covering his smaller frame. He wrapped his legs around his Dragon's waist and ground their hips together erotically. "I think I could be persuaded."

Seto didn't have to hear that twice and he proceeded to make out with his seductive little Puppy.

* * *

**_Family Outing (The Beach)_**

"Where are you taking us, Puppy?" Seto asked while he and the rest of their family followed him along the coastline.

"It's just a little further," Joey assured them.

"Can it be soon? We're gonna die carrying this thing," groaned Mokuba. Both he and Matt were carrying—well, dragging—a fairly large water cooler which held an assortment of food and drinks. And get this; it had wheels, but our clever little duo had yet to figure that one out.

"Stop crying. If he says we're almost there then we're almost there," Seto replied grumpily.

He was getting tired of this, too, but he wasn't going to admit that aloud to his Puppy. Nope! Not at all. It was their special day.

"Are we there yet?" snapped Seto, finally losing the verbal battle in his mind.

"Yep!" Joey answered cheerfully. "It's just around this bend!"

"It better be worth all this trouble," grumbled Matt lowly to Mokuba. He nodded in agreement.

"Wow! This place is so cool!" cried Serenity as they entered a secluded little cove. It looked like they had their own private beach.

And there was some equipment set up on the beach already. It looked like there were two large picnic tables complete with umbrellas, stuff for building sandcastles and whatnot, and a bunch of water toys!

"Can ya guys set the water cooler next to the picnic table? Then ya can go play for a bit while I get some things set up, okay?" announced Joey.

"Okay!" Matt and Mokuba cried in unison. They raced off with the water cooler, dropped it unceremoniously next to the picnic table, and bolted for the water toys.

"You can go and join them Serenity," said Seto.

"Thanks. Wait for me, guys!" Serenity called out, rushing after them.

"This is really nice, Puppy. So what's on today's agenda?"

"Well, we'll let them play for about a half an hour or so, then we'll get into teams and have a sandcastle building contest. After that, we'll have some lunch, go on a treasure hunt, and play in the water for a bit. By then, everyone should be dead tired and won't bother us for the remainder of the day. We'll be able to have our date in peace."

"Sounds like a good plan," Seto commented, impressed by Joey's method for wearing out the kids.

"Hopefully it'll work. MOKUBA KAIBA! STOP USING MATT AS A FLOATIE! I'm pretty sure they'll be tired by the end of the day. DON'T MAKE ME COME OVER THERE!"

Seto looked on, stupefied. How the hell could Joey have a civil conversation while yelling at the same time? His Puppy had 'Mother' written all over him. It was going to be an interesting day.

* * *

**_Sandcastle Building Contest_**

"Okay, so this is how it's going to play out," started Joey as he addressed Matt, Mokuba, Serenity, and Seto. "I'm going to split the four of ya up and you're gonna build the best sandcastle ya can make. I'm gonna be the judge. Are ya ready to get started?"

They all nodded eagerly.

"All right. Matt and Mokuba are Team 1, Serenity and Seto are Team 2. Ya guys have one hour to complete your sandcastles. On the count of three, start buildin'. One…Two…THREE!"

Each team raced off to a different part of the beach, excitedly laying out the foundation for their sandcastles.

* * *

**_One Hour Later_**

"Okay! Time's up! Let's have a look!" called Joey as he headed for the first sandcastle, which just so happened to be Seto and Serenity's. Well…if you could call it a sandcastle.

"Um…is this your sandcastle?" Joey asked sheepishly. Their supposed sandcastle looked more like a giant mound of wet sand.

"It was!" Seto growled, eyeing the disastrous work of art menacingly. "Astupidasswavehitit."

"What?" asked Joey confusedly. He couldn't make out a word of what Seto'd just said.

"I said…a stupid ass wave hit it," he mumbled.

This time, Joey heard him. Clearing his throat, the blond fought back laughter as he said, "Well, um, I'll go have a look at the other one, okay?"

Seto just shrugged his shoulders and glared at his mound of sand so ferociously it looked as if he were willing it to sink into the ground. It didn't, of course.

Joey moved on to Mokuba and Matt's sandcastle. "Hey, guys! This is awesome!"

Not only had they built a giant sandcastle that probably reached his shoulders, but they'd built a moat around it with a pool that went inside of the castle as well. Matt and Mokuba had built the sandcastle close enough to the beach so that when the waves came crashing in, the water would travel up their little passageway into their moat and pool. It was, simply put, the coolest sandcastle he'd ever seen.

"I just wanna tell ya guys right now, ya rock!" declared Joey as he took in their creation.

"Thanks!" they said simultaneously.

"And now the judgin' begins. Can I have everyone at the picnic tables, please?" announced Joey, beckoning everyone to follow him.

As everyone stood around the picnic tables, Joey pulled out a small bag. "Okay. Now everyone wins somethin' in this contest, so we'll start with Team 1. Matt! Mokuba! You two win the prize for the Coolest Sandcastle! Come on up and claim your prize!"

Matt and Mokuba sprinted toward him, receiving their own medals for the sandcastle they'd built and a few new toys.

"Team 2! Serenity! Seto! You two win the prize for the Worst Sandcastle! It's either that or the Best Mound of Sand. Your pick. Come on up and claim your prize!"

Seto and Serenity marched up to Joey, received their medals grudgingly and Seto also got a…small…plastic…star. What the hell was that for?

"Why'd I get a star?" Seto asked bluntly.

"It's a clue…for our date tonight," answered Joey mischievously.

There was no way Seto was going to be able to concentrate on their family outing when he had a devious little clue to their date to think about.

_Clever little Puppy._

* * *

**_Treasure Hunt_**

Joey smirked as he watched Serenity, Matt, and Mokuba run around the entire beach in search of the buried treasure. He'd given them a treasure map with an X that marked the spot. For some reason, they figured the easiest way to find the treasure was to run all over the beach looking for the X.

But seriously, what would be the point in giving someone a treasure map when all you had to do was find the X? Didn't it just seem a little odd that getting a treasure map might hint that there just might not be a visible X marking the spot?

"Maybe ya guys should look at the map!" Joey shouted to them. They stopped running and looked at him, dumbfounded. It seemed like they'd totally forgotten about the map.

"What'd you have to go and say that for? It was fun watching them run all over the beach," commented Seto.

"Seto, they've been runnin' around the beach for almost two hours. Once they find the spot, they have to dig it up. The faster they get to it, the sooner we can have our date. Personally, I don't wanna have to wait until midnight to do so. The duels continue tomorrow, remember?"

Seto groaned. He had forgotten about the duels. It amazed him slightly how spending time with his newly acquired family meant more to him than dueling _and _his company. He guessed that family life changed a man.

Sighing, he said, "I guess I'll go and help them out then." Seto jogged after the overenthusiastic kids as they argued over the map they currently had splayed on the ground.

Joey couldn't help but smile as he watched them pour over the map. When Seto finally took charge, leading the group toward the end of the beach, Joey got up and followed them.

Seto stuck the shovel he had into the ground and started to dig; everyone else began to dig as well. Getting about two feet down, Seto said, "How far down is this thing, Puppy?"

He laughed at the struggling CEO as he continued to dig. "Just a little bit more."

"You said that-" _Thump!_ Seto looked down to wear his shovel had hit. Raising it, he brought down the shovel again. _Thump!_

"We found it!" screamed Serenity as she started jumping up and down excitedly.

Everyone threw their shovels to the side, got down on their hands and knees and started digging with their hands. Clearing away most of the sand, they discovered that it was, indeed, a treasure chest.

With all his might, Seto grabbed the treasure chest and heaved, pulling it up from the giant hole they'd made onto the ground.

"What do you think is inside?" asked Matt.

"I don't know. Do you think it's gold or something?" answered Mokuba.

"Well, we'll soon find out," panted Seto as he messed around with the lock so that he could open it. "And we have," Seto began, "coins." His brows knitted in confusion. Were these chocolate coins? No! The sugar!

"Puppy?" Seto called, turning to face him. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Of course!"

* * *

**_Kaiba Mansion_**

"And that's the last one," Seto mumbled. They were dead tired and would probably sleep through the entire night. Thank goodness the sugar from all that chocolate had worn off.

Heading for his room, Seto stretched as he opened the door. Now it was time to get ready for his date. He wondered what they would be doing. The little plastic star was still bugging him.

He was brought out of his thoughts quite harshly when he saw his Puppy, who only had a towel around his waist. Joey didn't seem to notice Seto at first.

"So what are we doing, Puppy?" Seto asked smoothly.

Joey practically jumped out of his skin, almost losing his towel in the process. "Seto! Don't do that!" he screeched, smacking Seto in the arm.

"What? This?" he replied, fondling his Puppy's ass through the towel.

"Eep! Seto! Stop it! Go take a shower! And make sure to put somethin' _nice_ on," Joey exclaimed, hastily removing himself from the CEO's grasp.

Seto frowned at the loss of contact. "Fine. We have a date _there_ later. Now, what do you mean by dress nice? Would a dress shirt and jeans suffice?"

"Yeah," Joey stuttered, still unsure about what Seto meant by having a date _there_ later, but he had an idea. And he was pretty sure it had something to do with his Dragon and something very inappropriate.

"Okay. I'll just go take a shower. Where are we-"

"Just follow the trail," Joey said quickly, shoving Seto into the bathroom and slamming the door shut, a bright blush staining his cheeks.

Seto laughed to himself as he stripped down and stepped into the shower. As he turned on the hot water, he sighed as the heat seemed to wash away the stress and exhaustion from the day. He hoped that whatever they would be doing would be nice and relaxing.

Finishing his shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and went back into his room and over toward the closet. Seeing that Joey was nowhere in sight, he assumed he was busy making preparations for their date.

He took out a pair of dark jeans and a blue silk shirt. Putting on his clothes, he pulled on his boots and walked over to his dresser. He dabbed a little bit of cologne on his neck, ruffled his hair a time or two, and made for the door.

Now to find his Puppy. What did he say? Follow the trail? What was that supposed to mean?

Opening the door, he went out into the hallway, only to pause briefly. On the floor was a trail of red and white rose petals.

Chuckling, Seto followed the wonderfully scented trail down the stairs, across the foyer and to the sliding glass doors that led to the backyard. Sliding the doors open, his eyes met a truly spectacular sight.

Joey had set up a canopy outside and filled it with flickering candles and twinkling white lights. They accentuated the clear night sky beautifully. Soft music was playing in the background and there was a small table with two chairs underneath the sparkling canopy. The table had a long candle in the center and a wonderfully prepared meal.

Seto couldn't help but feel an overwhelming surge of love for his Puppy. "This is amazing," he said softly as he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist.

"I thought ya might like it," Joey replied, moving in front of his Dragon so they could share a deep, passionate kiss. "Now, let's eat before our dinner gets cold."

Taking Seto by the hand, he led the CEO to the table. "So what are we having?" asked Seto as they seated themselves.

"We're havin' Cognac Sauced Pepper Steaks and a Caramelized Onion Dressed Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts. Ya better like it. I spent a lot of time preparin' this meal for ya."

"Then it must be good." Seto smiled as he took a bite of the steak. Flavors burst inside his mouth. How could food taste so good? "Puppy, this is delicious."

Joey giggled. "I'm glad. Just make sure to save room for dessert."

"What kind of dessert?" Seto hinted with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"The food kind," Joey answered, blushing furiously again. Was he ever going to stop blushing whenever his Dragon made those kinds of comments?

They ate their romantic dinner in peace, and then Joey brought out the dessert. "Here, we have Spanish Coffee and Fudge Sundaes. I hope you'll enjoy it Seto, especially when I feed it to ya."

"You're feeding me now?" Seto asked, surprised.

"Yes." Joey took a spoonful of brownie and coffee ice cream with fudge sauce and brought it to Seto's mouth.

Seto moaned in delight as his taste buds were assaulted by the rich flavor. "I love your cooking," he sighed contentedly. Joey laughed as he continued to feed Seto his dessert.

When he'd finished, Seto realized that Joey hadn't had any of the magnificent dessert he'd just devoured. "Hey, Puppy? Didn't you want any?"

"Yes, but there was an ingredient missin' at the time."

"Huh? What's that?"

"You," Joey replied huskily as he moved away from his seat and straddled his Dragon's lap. "There's more than one way to have dessert, ya know." And he swooped down and kissed Seto like there was no tomorrow.

His Puppy's tongue was eagerly pushing past his lips so it could make its way into his ready mouth. Soon, their tongues were engaged in a fierce battle, one where Seto made it out victorious.

"I think I like having dessert this way. You make it taste so much better," panted Seto before he ravaged his Puppy's mouth once more.

When they broke apart for air, Joey gradually wrapped his arms around his Dragon's neck and pressed their foreheads together. "Hey, Dragon?"

"Hm?"

"Will ya dance with me?"

Seto nuzzled his neck a bit before answering. "Anything for you." He helped Joey off his lap and led him further under the twinkling canopy where they danced to the soft music of the night.

Feeling tired, Joey took Seto's hand and started to lead his Dragon deeper into the backyard. "I have another surprise for ya," whispered Joey. His Puppy led him to a blanket covered in rose petals on the grass. "We're gonna lie together and look up at the stars until we fall asleep. I don't think I have the energy to do anythin' else right now."

"That's perfectly fine, Puppy. I'd love to cuddle with you under the stars," Seto replied.

They lay down together on the blanket and stared up at the stars, snuggling into each other's arms.

"I love ya, Dragon," Joey said drowsily as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

"I love you, too, Puppy. And thank you for such a wonderful evening," he replied, kissing Joey on the nose.

And they both fell fast asleep.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 24**

**_Domino Duel Dome (Arena)_**

"Welcome back to the Domino Duel Dome!" said the announcer. "It's time to activate the computer once again! We will be having two duels today which means four more duelists will be selected!"

"DUELIST NUMBER THIRTEEN...ALISTER….DECK….I'D LIKE A LICENSE," said the computer.

"Alister! Step on up and claim your deck!" yelled the announcer. After Alister took his deck, the computer started processing again.

"DUELIST NUMBER FOURTEEN….MALIK….DECK….IMMORTAL HERO."

"All right! So our first duel of the day will be Alister (Deck – I'd Like a License) vs. Malik (Deck – Immortal Hero). Let's give a round of applause for our competitors!"

"DUELIST NUMBER FIFTEEN….ARTHUR HAWKINS….DECK….REMOVE IT, BAM." Arthur stepped up to retrieve his deck enthusiastically.

"DUELIST NUMBER SIXTEEN….SETO KAIBA….DECK….SO MANY NINJA."

"Wonderful! Our second duel of the day will be Arthur Hawkins (Deck – Remove it, BAM) vs. Seto Kaiba (Deck – So Many Ninja). Let's give them a hand!"

* * *

**_Duel #7 – Alister vs. Malik_**

"And now let's have our first two duelists step up to the plate," called the announcer. "We have Alister using the deck I'd Like a License and Malik using the deck Immortal Hero! Let's begin!"

"You're going to lose Malik!" warned Alister.

"Not a chance," Malik replied.

* * *

**_Time Passes_**

"And our winner is….Malik! Congratulations! Okay now let's have everyone clear the floor for the next and final duel of the day."

* * *

**_Duel #8 – Arthur Hawkins vs. Seto Kaiba_**

"Now we have our final two duelists. Arthur Hawkins, who will be using the Remove It, BAM deck and Seto Kaiba, who will be using the deck So Many Ninja. It's time to duel."

"Okay, youngling. Are you ready to face me?" said Arthur.

"Whenever you are, old timer," responded Seto, crossing his arms.

"Old timer!"

* * *

**_Time Passes_**

"And our winner is….Seto Kaiba! Excellent! It was awesome. All right everyone! That's it for today. The next round of duels will commence in a few days, but you'll be able to see the next act of the play tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of the activities that are going on until then. Bye!" the announcer exclaimed.

"Ya did great, Seto," said Joey as he raced over to him. "I wish I'd gotten as great a deck as ya had."

"It's not always the deck. It's the duelist…and the draw. The draw means everything in this tournament," replied Seto. Dueling like this was an interesting experience. Difficult, but interesting.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act IV, Scene I – Without the Florentine Camp_

The Second French Lord entered the stage with five other soldiers, who laid in wait for the ambush upon Parolles/Duke.

"Parolles cannot come any other way except this one. Once you see him, speak whatever terrible language you will; however, you must understand it yourself. We have to appear as if we do not understand Parolles, unless, of course, we produce someone among us who can act as interpreter," said the Second Lord.

"Good captain, might I be the interpreter?" asked the First Soldier.

"Do you not know Parolles? Won't he know your voice?" inquired the Second Lord.

"No, sir. I guarantee you."

"Hm. All right then. But he must think we are some band of strangers in the enemy's entertainment. Now, Parolles knows a little of all the neighboring languages, so everyone must find some way of communicating with one another. And since you will be interpreter, you must appear very diplomatic. Ah! Here he comes!"

Parolles/Duke then entered, talking to himself. "Oh, what trouble I'm in. I know that I am a liar and it seems everyone else is beginning to notice."

"That is the first truth that has ever passed your lips," mumbled the Second Lord, making sure that Parolles/Duke can neither hear nor see him.

"I cannot go after the drum!" exclaimed Parolles/Duke. "I am far too frightened."

"Is is possible he should know what he is?"

"Perhaps I should come up with a reason why I do not have the drum. I can cut my garments or break my sword."

"We cannot afford you so," muttered the Second Lord.

"Or the baring of my head and say that it was a ruse."

"It would not do so."

"I could drown my clothes and say that I was stripped."

"It would hardly serve."

"And then I could swear that I leaped from the window of the citadel."

"How deep?"

"Perhaps…thirty fathoms."

"Thirty fathoms would hardly be believed."

"If I had any drum of the enemy's, I would swear I had recovered it."

"Heh…you shall hear one shortly."

"A drum of the enemy's-" Parolles/Duke was interrupted by the angry sounds of trumpets.

"Throca movousus, cargo, cargo, cargo," said the Second Lord to Parolles/Duke in a nonsense language.

"Cargo, cargo, cargo, villiando par corbo, cargo," replied the rest of the soldiers.

"No! Do not hide my eyes!" Parolles/Duke screamed as the soldiers seized and blindfolded him.

"Boksos thromuldo boskos," said the First Soldier.

"I know that you are the Muskos' regiment! I will lose my life because I do not know your language! Does anyone here speak German, Dane, low Dutch, Italian, or French! If so, let him speak to me! I will tell you what you wish to know in order to defeat the Florentine!" cried Parolles/Duke.

"Boskos vauvado. I understand you and can speak your tongue. Kerely bonto, sir, you'd bets be truthful, for there are seventeen daggers pointed at your chest," said the First Soldier.

"Oh!" exclaimed Parolles/Duke.

"Oh, pray, pray, pray! Manka revania dulche," continued the First Soldier.

"Oscorbidulchos volivorco," stated the Second Lord.

"The general wishes to spare you," began the First Soldier, "yet, as deceiving as you are, you may provide us with some information that may save your life."

"Oh, let me live!" begged Parolles/Duke helplessly. "I'll show you all the secrets of our camp, their force, and their purposes! I'll tell you whatever it is you wish to know!"

"But will you do so faithfully?" asked the First Soldier.

"If I do not, then damn me," answered Parolles/Duke.

"Acordo linta. Come on. You are granted space," said the First Soldier.

They exited, with Parolles/Duke left behind, guarded by some soldiers.

The Second Lord pulled the Second Soldier off to the side and said, "Go to Bertram and my brother. Tell them we have caught Parolles and we will keep him from speaking until we hear from them."

"I will, captain," replied the Second Soldier.

"And tell them that Parolles will betray us all unto ourselves."

"I will, sir."

"Until then I will keep Parolles in the dark and safely locked."

And with that, everyone exited the stage.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act IV, Scene II – Florence – The Widow's House_

Bertram/Seto and Diana/Ryou entered the stage together.

"They told me that your name was Fontibell," said Bertram/Seto.

"No, my good lord. My name is Diana," replied Diana/Ryou.

"Hm…like the goddess. And you are worthy of such a name. You are not a maiden, but a monument. When you are dead, you should be one as you are now, for you are cold and stem. And now…you should be as your mother was when your sweet self was had."

"She was honest then."

"And so should you be."

"No. My mother did but her duty. Such a duty, my lord, as you owe to your wife."

"No more of that!" Bertram/Seto snapped. "Do not strive against my vows. I was…compelled to her, but I love you. And by love's own sweet restraint I will forever do you all rights of service."

"So you serve us till we serve you? But when you have our roses, you barely leave our thorns to prick ourselves and you mock us with our bareness."

"How have I sworn!"

"It is not the many oaths that makes the truth, but the plain, single vow that is vowed truly. If I should swear by God's great qualities that I loved you dearly, would you believe me? Especially when I did love you poorly? This has no holding. Your oaths are words and ill conditions, but…unsealed, at least, in my opinion."

"Change it. Change it. Love is holy. And my integrity never knew the deceit that you charge men with. Do not stand more off," said Bertram/Seto, lightly playing with Diana's/Ryou's hair. "Satisfy my sick desires. Say you are mine, and my love will, as it begins, persevere."

"No. Not unless you give me your ring," declared Diana/Ryou stubbornly.

"I'll…lend it to you, my dear. But I cannot give it to you since it is a token of my family's pride and honor."

"I will only give myself to you if you give me your ring," Diana/Ryou insisted.

Bertram/Seto sighed and paused as if thinking intently. "Here, take my ring. My house, my honor, my life, is yours. And I will abide by you."

Diana/Ryou smiled at him sweetly. "When midnight comes, knock at my chamber window. I will make sure my mother does not hear. And when you come to take my virginity, you must stay there for an hour and not speak to me. My reasons are most strong and you shall never know them. And when back again this ring shall be delivered. But on this special night I will put on your finger another ring. This ring may token to the future our past deeds. Farewell, the. You have won me as a wife, though there my hope is done."

Bertram/Seto grinned victoriously. "A heaven on earth I have won by wooing you," he said as he left the stage.

Diana/Ryou watched him go and started speaking out of his earshot. "Hn, you may as well thank both heaven and me! You may in the end. My mother told me just how you would woo. She says all men have similar oaths. You have sworn to marry me when your wife is dead; therefore I'll lie with you when I am buried! I will live and die a maid! But soon, very soon, you will get what you deserve."

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act IV, Scene III – Midnight Tryst_

The curtains open to reveal a giant bed in the middle of the stage, but the light did not illuminate it enough to see any faces.

Bertram/Seto entered the stage slowly, apprehensively approaching the bed. He pulled back the covers and slipped into the bed.

The curtains closed, concealing the midnight tryst between the two lovers in the bed.

(*Note – What Bertram does not know is that Helena takes Diana's place in the bed, where Helena finally loses her virginity to Bertram)

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act IV, Scene III – The Florentine Camp_

Two French Lords entered the stage along with three soldiers.

"You have not given Bertram his mother's letter?" inquired the First Lord.

"I delivered it just over an hour ago. There…is something in it that stings his nature, because…upon reading it…he almost changed into another man," answered the Second Lord.

"Bertram has much blame laid upon him for shaking off such a good wife and sweet lady."

"Yes. His actions have dishonored him greatly. No amount of military valor can ever make up for that! And now, I have another secret to tell you."

"What is that?"

"Bertram has perverted a young gentlewoman here in Florence. Her name is Diana and she is most chaste. Tonight Bertram intends to take her to bed and rid her of her virginity. He's given Diana his monumental ring and thinks himself made in this unchaste composition," related the Second Lord.

"My, God! Delay our rebellion! Look at what things we are!"

"We are merely our own traitors. And…as in the common course of all treasons, we will see them reveal themselves, till they attain to their loathed ends. So Bertram, in this action, contrives against his own nobility!"

"Is…Is it not damnable to us to be the…the trumpeter of our unlawful intents? Bertram will not be with us tonight, then?" asked the First Lord.

"No. Not until after midnight. Bertram is set to his hour."

"Hm…that approaches soon. I would gladly see his company anatomized. He might take a measure of his own judgments…in which…so strangely he had set this…this sham."

"We will not meddle with him until he comes, for his presence must be the whip of the other."

"Well…in the mean time, what have you heard of these wars?"

"I've heard there is an approach of peace."

"I assure you; a peace concluded."

"What will Bertram so then? Will he travel higher or will he return to France?"

"I think, by this demand, you are not altogether of his council."

"Uh…let it be forbid, sir. I should be a great deal of his act," replied the Second Lord.

"Sir, Bertram's wife Helena, some two months ago, fled from his house. She claimed to be on a pilgrimage to Saint Jaques le Grand, in which she accomplished this holy undertaking with most austere sanctimony. Residing in the tenderness of her nature, Helena became prey to her grief. In fine, she made a groan of her last breath and now she sings in heaven."

"How is this justified!" exclaimed the Second Lord in shock.

"Well…the stronger part of it is by Helena's own letter, which makes her story true, even up to the point of her death. Helena's death itself, which cannot really be said by her, was faithfully confirmed by the rector of the place."

"Does Bertram know all this?"

"Yes…and the particular confirmations, from point to point, are all true."

"I am terribly sorry that Bertram will be glad because of this."

"Hn…how mightily we sometimes make comforts out of our losses."

"And how mightily we sometimes drown our gains in our own tears. The great dignity Bertram's valor has acquired here shall, at home, put him to shame!"

"Yes. The web of life is spun together, both good and bad. Our virtues would be proud, but only if our faults were whipped. Our crimes would despair, but only if they were not cherished by our virtues," said the First Lord as a messenger entered the stage. "Here now! Where's your master?" he inquired, addressing the messenger.

"He met the duke in the street, sir, of whom he has taken a solemn leave. His lordship will leave the next morning for France. The duke has offered him letters of commendations to the king," replied the messenger.

"These letter shall no more be needed there, if they were more than they can commend," said the Second Lord.

"They cannot be…too sweet for the king's tartness. Here's his lordship now!" stated the First Lord, indicating Bertram/Seto as he entered the stage. "How now, my lord! Is it not after midnight?"

"I have dispatched sixteen businesses tonight, a month's length apiece by an abstract of success. I have spoken with the duke, said my farewells, buried a wife, mourned for her, written to my mother saying that I am returning, entertained my convoy, and between these main parts of dispatch I have affected many nicer needs. The last was the greatest, but that I have not ended yet," said Bertram/Seto with a smirk.

"If the business is of any difficulty, and this morning your leaving consequently, it requires hast of your lordship," said the Second Lord.

"I mean that the business is not ended, as fearing to hear of his in the future. Must we have this dialogue between the fool and the soldier? Come. Bring forth this counterfeit module. Parolles has deceived me like a double-meaning prophesier," replied Bertram/Seto.

"Bring him forth. Parolles sat in the stocks all night, the poor, gallant knave," replied the Second Lord.

"No matter. His heels have deserved it in assuming his urges so long. How does he carry himself?" inquired Bertram/Seto.

"I have told you already, the stocks carry him. But to answer you as you would be understood, Parolles weeps like a woman that had shed her milk. He has confessed himself to Morgan, whom he supposes is a friar, from the time of his remembrance to this very instant; the disaster of him sitting in the stocks. What do you think he's confessed?"

"Nothing of me, I hope."

"His confession is taken and it shall be read to his face. If your lordship is in it, as I believe you are, you must have the patience to hear it," said the Second Lord as Parolles/Duke entered the stage being guarded by the First Soldier.

"A plague upon him! Muffled! He can say nothing of me. Hush! Hush!" hissed Bertram/Seto, still not believing Parolles/Duke will betray him.

"Hoodman comes! Portotartarosa?" asked the First Lord in the made up language.

"He calls for the tortures. What will you say without them?" inquired the First Soldier of Parolles/Duke, who was acting as interpreter.

"I will confess what I know without constraint," began Parolles/Duke hastily. "If you pinch me like a pastry, I can say no more."

"Bosko chimchurcho," said the First Soldier.

"Boblibindo chicurmurco," replied the First Lord.

"You are a merciful general. Our general bids you answer to what I shall ask you out of a note."

"And truly, as I hope to live."

"First, how many horses does the duke have? What say you to that?"

"Five or six thousand; but very weak and unserviceable. The troops are all scattered, and the commanders very poor rogues, upon my reputation and credit and as I hope to live."

"Shall I set down your answer so?"

"Do. I'll take the sacrament on it. How and which way you will."

"All's one to him. What a past-saving slave is this!" whispered Bertram/Seto.

"You're deceived, my lord. This is Monsieur Parolles, the gallant militarist. That was his own  
phrase, and that had the whole theorem of war in the knot of his scarf, and the practice in the shape of his dagger," replied the First Lord.

"I will never trust a man again for keeping his sword clean. Nor believe he can have everything in him by wearing his apparel neatly," added the Second Lord.

"Well, that's set down," announced the First Soldier.

"Five or six thousand horses, I said. I will say true. Or thereabouts, set down, for I'll speak truth," said Parolles/Duke.

"He's very near the truth in this," said the First Lord.

"But I con him no thanks for it, in the nature he delivers it," mumbled Bertram/Seto.

"Poor rogues, I pray you, say," said Parolles/Duke.

"Well, that's set down," repeated the First Soldier.

"I humbly thank you, sir. A truth's a truth, the rogues are marvelous poor."

"Of what strength are they on foot? What say you to that?"

"By my troth, sir, if I were to live this present hour, I will tell true. Let me see…Spurio, a hundred and fifty; Sebastian, so many; Corambus, so many; Jaques, so many; Guiltian, Cosmo, Lodowick, and Gratii, two hundred and fifty each; mine own company, Chitopher, Vaumond, Bentii, two hundred and fifty each. So that the muster-file, rotten and sound, upon my life, amounts not to fifteen thousand polls; half of the which dare not shake snow from off their cassocks, lest they shake themselves to pieces," answered Parolles/Duke.

"What shall be done to him?" asked Bertram/Seto.

"Nothing, but let him have thanks. Demand of him my condition, and what credit I have with the duke," answered the First Lord.

"Well, that's set down," began the First Soldier. "Is Captain Dumain in the camp? What is his reputation with the duke? What is his valor, honesty, and expertness in wars? Is it not  
possible, with well-weighing sums of gold, to corrupt him to revolt? What say you to this? What do you know of it?"

"I beseech you; let me answer to the particular of the interrogatories. Demand them singly."

"Do you know this Captain Dumain?"

"I know him. He was a botcher's apprentice in Paris, from whence he was whipped for getting the shrieve's fool with child, a dumb innocent that could not say him nay."

"Nay, by your leave, hold your hands; though I know his brains are forfeit to the next tile that falls," whispered Bertram/Seto.

"Well, is this captain in the duke of Florence's camp?" asked the First Soldier.

"Upon my knowledge, he is, and lousy."

"Nay look not so upon me. We shall hear of your lordship anon," said the First Lord.

"What is his reputation with the duke?"

"The duke knows him for no other but a poor officer of mine; and writ to me this other day to turn him out of the band. I think I have his letter in my pocket," said Parolles/Duke.

"Marry, we'll search."

"In good sadness, I do not know; either it is there, or it is upon a file with the duke's other letters  
in my tent."

"Here it is; here's a paper. Shall I read it to you?"

"I do not know if it be it or no."

"Our interpreter does it well," commented Bertram/Seto.

"Excellently," replied the First Lord.

"Diana, the count's a fool, and full of gold," read the First Soldier.

"That is not the duke's letter, sir; that is an advertisement to a proper maid in Florence, one Diana, to take heed of the allurement of one Bertram, a foolish idle boy, but for all that very brutish: I pray you, sir, put it up again," said Parolles/Duke.

"Nay, I'll read it first, by your favor."

"My meaning in it, I protest, was very honest in the behalf of the maid; for I knew the young count to be a dangerous and lascivious boy, who is a whale to virginity and devours up all the fry it finds."

"Damnable both-sides rogue!" spat Bertram/Seto.

"When he swears oaths, bid him drop gold, and take it; after he scores, he never pays the score. Half won is match well made; match, and well make it; he never pays after-debts, take it before; and say a soldier, Diana, told him this, men are to mill with, boys are not to kiss, for count of this, the count's a fool, I know it, who pays before, but not when he does owe it. You, as he vowed to me in your ear, Parolles," read the First Soldier.

"He shall be whipped through the army with this rhyme in his forehead," growled Bertram/Seto.

"This is your devoted friend, sir, the manifold linguist and the arm potent soldier," stated the Second Lord.

"I could endure anything before but a cat, and now he's a cat to me."

"I perceive, sir, by the general's looks, we shall be fain to hang you," commented the First Solider.

"My life, sir, in any case. Not that I am afraid to die, but that, my offences being many, I would repent out the remainder of nature. Let me live, sir, in a dungeon, in the stocks, or anywhere, so I may live," begged Parolles/Duke.

"We'll see what may be done, so you confess freely; therefore, once more to this Captain Dumain. You have answered to his reputation with the duke and to his valor. What is his honesty?"

"He will steal, sir, an egg out of a cloister. For rapes and ravishments he parallels Nessus. He professes not keeping of oaths; in breaking them he is stronger than Hercules. He will lie, sir, with such volubility, that you would think truth was a fool. Drunkenness is his best virtue, for he will be swine-drunk; and in his sleep he does little harm, save to his bed-clothes about him; but they know his conditions and lay him in straw. I have but little more to say, sir, of his honesty. He has everything that an honest man should not have; what an honest man should have, he has nothing," answered Parolles/Duke.

"I begin to love him for this," remarked the First Lord.

"For this description of his honesty! A pox upon him for me, he's more and more a cat!" spat Bertram/Seto.

"What say you to his expertness in war?" asked the First Soldier.

"Faith, sir, he has led the drum before the English tragedians; to belie him, I will not, and more of his soldier-ship I know not; except, in that country he had the honor to be the officer at a place there called Mile-end, to instruct for the doubling of files. I would do the man what honor I can, but of this I am not certain," replied Parolles/Duke.

"He has out-villained villainy so far, that the rarity redeems him."

"A pox on him, he's a cat still," Bertram/Seto repeated.

"His qualities being at this poor price, I need not to ask you if gold will corrupt him to revolt," said the First Soldier.

"Sir, he will sell the fee-simple of his salvation, the inheritance of it; and cut the entail from all remainders, and a perpetual succession for it perpetually," stated Parolles/Duke.

"What's his brother, the other Captain Dumain?"

"Why does be ask him of me?" asked the Second Lord.

"What's he?" the First Soldier asked again.

"Even a crow of the same nest; not altogether so great as the first in goodness, but greater a great deal in evil. He excels his brother for a coward, yet his brother is reputed one of the best that is. In a retreat he outruns any lackey; marry, in coming on he has the cramp," answered Parolles/Duke.

"If your life be saved, will you undertake to betray the Florentine?"

"Yes, and the captain of his horse, Bertram."

"I'll whisper with the general, and know his pleasure."

Parolles/Duke looked off to the side and said aloud to himself, "I'll no more drumming; a plague of all drums! Only to seem to deserve well and to beguile the supposition of that lascivious young boy the count, have I run into this danger. Yet who would have suspected an ambush where I was taken?"

"There is no remedy, sir, but you must die. The general says you that have so traitorously discovered the secrets of your army and made such pestiferous reports of men very nobly held, can serve the world for no honest use; therefore you must die. Come, headsman, off with his head," declared the First Soldier.

"Oh Lord, sir, let me live, or let me see my death!" pleaded Parolles/Duke.

"That shall you, and take your leave of all your friends," said the First Lord, unbinding Parolles/Duke. "So, look about you. Do you know any here?"

"Good morrow, noble captain," Bertram/Seto growled menacingly.

"God bless you, Captain Parolles," stated the Second Lord.

"God save you, noble captain," remarked the First Lord.

"Captain, what greetings will you to my Lord Lafeu? I am for France," said the Second Lord.

"Good captain, will you give me a copy of the sonnet you writ to Diana in behalf of Bertram? And I were not a very coward, I would compel it of you. But fare you well," replied the First Lord.

Bertram/Seto and the Lords exited the stage briskly.

"You are undone, captain, all but your scarf; that has a knot on it yet," said the First Soldier.

"Who cannot be crushed with a plot?" commented Parolles/Duke.

"If you could find out a country where but women were that had received so much shame, you might begin an impudent nation. Fare you well, sir; I am for France too. We shall speak of you there," he said as he left with the soldiers.

"Yet am I thankful. If my heart were great, it would burst at this. Captain I'll be no more; but I will eat and drink, and sleep as soft as captain shall. Simply the thing I am shall make me live. Who knows himself a braggart, let him fear this, for it will come to pass that every braggart shall be found an ass. Rust, sword? Cool, blushes! And, Parolles, live safest in shame! Being fooled, by foolery thrive! There is place and means for every man alive. I'll after them," said Parolles/Duke as he exited the stage as well.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 25**

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act IV, Scene IV – Florence – The Widow's House_

Helena/Joey, the Widow/Malik, and Diana/Ryou entered the stage together.

"Thank ya for your help," Helena/Joey began. "I assure ya that ya will be greatly awarded for it."

"Gentle madam, you never had a servant to whom you trust your business to was more welcome," said the Widow/Malik.

"Nor you, mistress. Diana," Helena/Joey started, turning to face Diana/Ryou, "I am sorry to say that ya must do a little more on my behalf."

"I will do anything to help you bring Bertram down to size. I, myself, think his actions are most despicable," replied Diana/Ryou honestly.

"Time will heal all wounds on your behalf. Besides, all's well that ends well," stated Helena/Joey, and they all left the stage.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act IV, Scene V – Rousillon – The Count's Palace_

The Countess/Yugi, Lafeu/Marik, and Lavache/Bakura briskly entered the stage.

"No, no, no, your son was deceived by a snipped-taffeta fellow there, whose villainous saffron would have made all the unbaked and doughy youth of a nation in his color. Your daughter-in-law, Helena, had been alive at this hour, and your son here at home, more sophisticated by the king than by that red-tailed humble-bee I speak of," said Lafeu/Marik, referring to Parolles.

"Had I not known him, I would. It was the death of the most honorable gentlewoman that ever nature had praise for creating. If she had partaken of my flesh, and cost me the dearest groans of a mother, I could not have owed her a more rooted love," replied the Countess/Yugi sorrowfully.

"It was a good lady, it was a good lady. We may pick a thousand salads here we light on such another herb," continued Lafeu/Marik.

"Indeed, sir, Helena was the sweet marjoram of the salad, or rather, the herb of grace," commented Lavache/Bakura.

"They are not herbs, you idiot; they are nose-herbs," corrected Lafeu/Marik.

"Whatever!" spat Lavache/Bakura. "I have not much skill in grass."

"What do you profess yourself then? An idiot or a fool?" asked Lafeu/Marik.

Lavache/Bakura tapped a finger to his chin as if in thought. "A fool, sir, at a woman's service, and an idiot at a man's."

"Your distinction?"

"I would cheat the man of his wife and do his service."

"So you were an idiot at his service, indeed."

"And I would give his wife my trinket, sir, to do her service."

"I will subscribe for you; you are both idiot and fool."

"At your service."

"No, no, no," stated Lafeu/Marik in irritation.

"Why, sir, if I cannot serve you, I can serve as great a prince as you are."

"Who's that? A Frenchman?"

"Faith, sir, has an English name; but his countenance is hotter in France than there."

"What prince is that!" exclaimed Lafeu/Marik.

"The black prince, sir; alias, the prince of darkness; alias, the devil."

"Hold yourself, there's my bag. I give you not this to suggest you from your master you talk of;  
serve him still."

"I am a woodland fellow, sir, that always loved a great fire; and the master I speak of always keeps a good fire. But, sure, he is the prince of the world; let his nobility remain in his court. I am for the house with the narrow gate, which I take to be too little for ceremony to enter. Some that humble themselves may; but the many will be too chill and tender, and they'll be for the elaborate way that leads to the broad gate and the great fire."

"Go thy ways, I begin to be weary of you; and I tell you so before, because I would not fall out with you. Go your ways. Let my horses be well looked to, without any tricks."

"If I put any tricks upon them, sir, they shall be jades' tricks; which are their own right by the law of nature," said Lavache/Bakura, finally, before he exited the stage.

"A shrewd idiot and an unhappy one at that," mumbled Lafeu/Marik.

"So he is," started the Countess/Yugi. "My lord that's gone made himself much sport out of him. By his authority he remains here, which he thinks is a patent for his sauciness; and, indeed, he has no pace, but runs where he will."

"Mn…I like him well; it is not incorrect. Since hearing the news of Helena's death and Bertram's return to France, I have spoken to the king about offering my own daughter as your son's second wife. The king himself had proposed the match when both my daughter and your son were children. And, to stop up the displeasure he has conceived against your son, Bertram, there is no fitter matter. How does your ladyship like it?" asked Lafeu/Marik.

"With very much content, my lord; and I wish it happily effected," replied the Countess/Yugi optimistically.

"His highness comes soon from Marseilles, of as able body as when he numbered thirty. He will be here tomorrow, or I am deceived by him that in such intelligence hath seldom failed."

"It rejoices me, that I hope I shall see him here I die. I have letters that my son will be here tonight. I shall beseech your lordship to remain with me till they meet together."

"Madam, I was thinking with what manners I might safely be admitted."

"You need but plead your honorable privilege."

"Lady, of that I have made a bold charter; but I thank my God it holds yet."

Lavache/Bakura re-entered the stage. "Oh, madam, your son returns with a patch of velvet on his face. But whether there be a scar under it or not, the velvet knows; but it is a goodly patch of velvet. His left cheek is a cheek of two piles and a half, but his right cheek is worn bare."

"A scar nobly got, or a noble scar, is a good livery of honor; so belike is that," said Lafeu/Marik.

"But it is your carbonadoed face," replied Lavache/Bakura.

"Let us go see your son, I pray you. I long to talk with the young, noble soldier."

"Faith there is a dozen of them, with delicate fine hats and most courteous feathers, which bow the head and nod at every man," said Lavache/Bakura as they all left the stage.

* * *

**_Domino Duel Dome (The Following Day)_**

"Welcome back, everyone, to the Domino Duel Dome!" cried the announcer. "It's time to activate the computer once more! We will be having three duels today which means six more duelists will be selected!"

"DUELIST NUMBER SEVENTEEN...ESPA ROBA….DECK….EXCLUDED MARKET," said the computer.

"Espa! Step on up and claim your deck!" yelled the announcer. After Espa took his deck, the computer started processing again.

"DUELIST NUMBER EIGHTEEN….YUGI….DECK….I AM THE LAW!"

"All right! So our first duel of the day will be Espa (Deck – Excluded Marik) vs. Yugi (Deck – I am the Law!). Let's give a round of applause for our competitors!"

"DUELIST NUMBER NINETEEN….PEGASUS….DECK….HERBIVORE HORDE." Pegasus stepped up to retrieve his deck graciously.

"DUELIST NUMBER TWENTY….LEON….DECK….LATE NIGHT GAIA."

"Wonderful! Our second duel of the day will be Pegasus (Deck – Herbivore Horde) vs. Leon (Deck – Late Night Gaia). Let's give them a hand!"

"DUELIST NUMBER TWENTY-ONE….SOLOMON….DECK….YES POLYMERIZATION." Solomon walked up to accept his deck.

"DUELIST NUMBER TWENTY-TWO….YAMI….DECK….WHINE AND BRIO."

"Wonderful! Our final duel of the day will be Solomon (Deck – Yes Polymerization) vs. Yami (Deck – Whine and Brio). All right! Let's get these duels underway, shall we?"

* * *

**_Duel #9 – Espa vs. Yugi_**

"And now let's have our first two duelists come on up," called the announcer. "We have Espa using the deck Excluded Market and Yugi using the deck I am the Law! Let's begin!"

"Prepare to lose, Yugi!" said Espa.

"Not this time," Yugi replied.

* * *

**_Time Passes_**

"And our winner is….Yugi! Congratulations! Okay now let's have everyone clear the floor for the next duel of the day."

* * *

**_Duel #10 – Pegasus vs. Leon_**

"Now we have our next two duelists. Pegasus, who will be using the Herbivore Horde deck and Leon, who will be using the deck Late Night Gaia. It's time to duel."

"I hope you're ready, my dear boy," said Pegasus.

"Oh, I'm ready!" replied Leon.

* * *

**_Time Passes_**

"And our winner is….Pegasus! Congratulations! Okay now let's have everyone clear the floor for the final duel of the day."

* * *

**_Duel #11 – Solomon vs. Yami_**

"Now we have our final two duelists. Solomon, who will be using the Yes Polymerization deck and Yami, who will be using the deck Whine and Brio. Let's duel!."

"It's the teacher versus the student, I see," said Solomon.

"It is. Now let us discover who, in fact, is master of this game," stated Yami.

* * *

**_Time Passes_**

"And our winner is….Yami! Excellent! All right everyone! That's all for today. The next round of duels will commence within the next few days, but you'll be able to see the final act of the play tomorrow. See ya!" the announcer exclaimed.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act V, Scene I – Marseilles – A Street_

Helena/Joey, the Widow/Malik, and Diana/Ryou, along with two attendants, entered the stage.

"Again, I promise to repay ya generously for your efforts on my behalf," said Helena/Joey. A gentleman then entered the stage. "Excuse me, sir?"

"Yes?" replied the gentleman.

"I think I have seen ya in the court of France."

"I have been there, yes."

"May I ask a favor of ya?"

"What is your will?"

"Can ya tell me the directions to the King, if ya may?" asked Helena/Joey sweetly.

"The King's not here," answered the gentleman.

"Not here!"

"No, indeed. He has already left for Paris," explained the gentleman.

"Oh, dear!" exclaimed the Widow/Malik, quite discouraged. "All our efforts have been wasted."

"All's well that ends well, yet, at present, the situation appears to be bleak. Perhaps, sir, ya can deliver a letter to the King? I assure ya, ya will be rewarded for your pains. I will follow ya to Paris as quickly as I can," said Helena/Joey.

"This I shall do for you," replied the gentleman.

"And ya shall find yourself well compensated for your troubles. We must ride, again! Go, go, provide!"

Helena/Joey, the Widow/Malik, and Ryou/Diana leave the stage in preparation for another journey.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act V, Scene II – Rousillon – Before the Count's Palace_

Lavache/Bakura entered the stage with Parolles/Tristan following him from behind.

"Good Monsieur Lavache, will you please give my Lord Lafeu this letter?" requested Parolles/Duke, no longer well-dressed and proud. "We used to be friends when I wore nicer clothes. But now…now I smell of Fortune's displeasure."

Lavache/Bakura snickered. "Fortune's displeasure stinks."

Lafeu/Marik entered the stage and Lavache/Bakura took t as a sign for him to leave.

"My lord, I am a man whom Fortune has cruelly scratched," said Parolles/Duke.

"And what would you have me do?" spat Lafeu/Marik. "It is too late to correct what you have done. Away with you. I have other business to attend to."

"Please, listen to me!"

"Agh, you beg a single penny more. Come. You shall speak."

"My name, good lord, is Parolles."

"Hn…how does your drum?"

"Oh, my good lord, you were the first to find me!"

"Did I? I was the first to lose you, too."

"It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some grace, for you did bring me out," pleaded Parolles/Duke. "Please forgive me."

"Out upon you, knave! Do you put upon me at once both the authority of God and the Devil? One brings you in grace and the other brings you out," began Lafeu/Marik, the trumpets sounding soon after. "The King is coming. Although you are to blame…I graciously forgive you."

"Thank you," cried Parolles/Duke.

They exited the stage.

* * *

**_Domino Theatre (Onstage)_**

_Act V, Scene III – Rousillon – The Count's Palace_

Trumpets sounded as the King/Yami, the Countess/Yugi, Lafeu/Marik, the two French Lords, and attendants entered the stage.

"We have lost a jewel, the dear Helena. Our high regard was made much poorer by it. But your son, Bertram, who is as mad in foolishness, lacked the sense to know Helena's opinion home," said the King/Yami.

"Please, dear King, forgive Bertram. See his disobedient actions as the rash ignorance of youth," begged the Countess/Yugi.

"I have forgiven him already. I only wish that Bertram had not been so foolish about recognizing what a treasure he had in his wife. Hm…bring him in."

"As you wish, my liege," replied a gentleman. He left in order to bring in Bertram.

The King/Yami turned to Lafeu/Marik and asked, "You want Bertram to wed your daughter? Have you spoken to him about this?"

"Ah, all that Bertram is has mention to your highness," answered Lafeu/Marik.

"Then we have a match. I'll have letters sent to me that set Bertram high in fame."

At that moment, Bertram entered.

"He looks well on it," commented Lafeu/Marik.

"I have forgiven you, Bertram," said the King/Yami.

"Thank you, my lord," replied Bertram/Seto.

"And I do not want to speak about the past matter since Helena is dead. But I do have some pleasing news. I have found you a second wife; Lafeu's daughter, if you will."

"As you wish," Bertram/Seto accepted obediently.

"Good, good. You should send Lafeu's daughter some token of your affection," instructed the King/Yami.

Bertram/Seto presented the ring he recently acquired during his _tryst_ with the supposed Diana (who was actually Helena).

"That ring looks like the one worn by Helena," remarked Lafeu/Marik.

"It is not hers," deadpanned Bertram/Seto.

The King/Yami grabbed the ring and started examining it. "I recognize this ring! I gave this to Helena and instructed her that if she ever needed my help, she should send this ring to me."

"It did not come from Helena," repeated Bertram/Seto, fearful of telling the King/Yami where it truly came from.

"My son, on my life, I have seen her wear it!" exclaimed the Countess/Yugi.

"I am sure I saw her wear it as well," added Lafeu/Marik.

"It is not hers!" yelled Bertram/Seto. "She never saw this ring!"

"I suspect, Bertram, that you hated your young wife so much, that you had something to do with her untimely death," stated the King/Yami.

"She never saw it!"

"I do not believe you. Guards! Arrest this man!" ordered the King/Yami. The guards seized Bertram/Seto and left the stage with him.

At this point, a gentleman entered and delivered a letter to the King. Opening the letter from Diana Capilet, he read, "Bertram recently seduced me after convincing me that he would marry me after his wife's death. Now that he is a widower, he is bound by his oath to marry me. Bertram stole away from Florence without me, and I am compelled to find him since he took my virginity."

After listening to the letter, Lafeu/Marik declared, "I would rather _buy_ a son-in-law form a circus than let my daughter marry the likes of Bertram!"

"Bring Bertram in!" roared the King/Yami.

The guards brought Bertram/Seto back onto the stage.

"I wonder, sir, which wives are monsters to you," spat the King/Yami at Bertram/Seto. "You fly them as you swear them lordship, yet you desire to marry!" The Widow/Malik and Diana/Ryou suddenly entered the stage. "Now who the hell are these women!"

"I am Diana. Bertram seduced me and broke his word on his promise to marry me."

"I am her mother," began the Widow/Malik. "I want justice done on behalf of my daughter."

"Get him over here!" ordered the King/Yami furiously. "Do you know these women?" he demanded of Bertram/Seto, emphasizing each word.

"I don't know them."

"What!" exclaimed Diana/Ryou.

"I don't know them," repeated Bertram/Seto.

"If you shall marry, you give away this hand, and that is mine. You give away heaven's vows, and those are mine. You give away myself, which is known mine; for I by vow am so embodied as yours. You must marry me," said Diana/Ryou.

"Your reputation comes too short for my daughter. You are no husband for her," stated Lafeu/Marik.

"My lord, this is a fond and desperate creature," Bertram/Seto said, indicating Diana/Ryou, "whom sometime I have laughed with. Let your highness lay a more noble thought upon my honor than for you to think that I would sink it here."

"Bertram, for my thoughts, you have them ill until your deeds gain them. You need to prove you honor," replied the King/Yami.

"Good, my lord. Ask him upon his oath if he took my virginity," said Diana/Ryou.

"What do you say?" inquired the King/Yami.

"She is insolent, my lord, and is nothing more than a common whore to the camp," Bertram/Seto answered.

"If I were a common whore, you would have bought me at a common price and would never have given me your family ring!" declared Diana/Ryou, displaying the ring for all to see.

"The ring is proof!" exclaimed the Countess/Yugi in shock.

"Hn…I thought you said that you saw someone here in court who could witness it," said the King/Yami.

"I did, my lord, but I am loath to produce so bad an instrument. His name is Parolles," replied Diana/Ryou.

"I saw the man today," said Lafeu/Marik.

"Find him and bring him here," ordered the King/Yami. An attendant left to fetch him.

"What do you want with him?" inquired Bertram/Seto.

"Diana has that ring of yours," answered the King/Yami.

"…As she subdued me, she got the ring."

"Since you lack virtue," began Diana/Ryou, "I will lose a husband. Send for your ring and I will return it home and then you shall give me mine again."

"I do not have your ring!"

"What ring was yours?" asked the King/Yami.

"The one upon your finger," replied Diana/Ryou.

"You know this ring? This ring was Bertram's as of late."

"And this is what I gave him when we were abed."

"Your story then goes false. You threw it to him out of a window."

"I have spoken the truth!"

Parolles/Duke then entered the stage.

"My lord, I do confess. This ring was hers," said Bertram/Seto.

The King/Yami groaned. "Is this the man you speak of?"

"Yes, my lord," answered Diana/Ryou.

"Tell me truthfully, what you know about Bertram and Diana," demanded the King/Yami of Parolles/Duke.

"Bertram is an honorable gentleman."

"Did he love this woman?"

"He did love her, but how?"

"How?" echoed the King/Yami.

"He loved her as a gentleman loves a woman."

"And how is that?"

"He loved her and loved her not," said Parolles/Duke.

"Idiot!" screamed the King/Yami. "What an ambiguous companion is this!"

"I am but a poor man and at your majesty's command."

"He's a good drum, my lord, but a naughty orator," said Lafeu/Marik.

"Did you know he promised me marriage?" asked Diana/Ryou.

"I know more than I'll speak," answered Parolles/Duke.

"But will you speak what you know?" inquired the King/Yami.

"No."

"Urgh! You say this ring is yours?" the King/Yami asked Diana/Ryou once more.

"Yes, my lord."

"Where did you buy it? Who gave it to you?"

"I did not buy it and it was not given to me."

The King/Yami narrowed his eyes. "Who lent it to you?"

"It was not lent to me either."

"Where did you find it then?"

"I did not find it."

"If it were yours by none of these ways, then how could you give it to him!"

"I never gave it to him," said Diana/Ryou seriously.

"This woman is an easy glove, my lord. She goes off and on at pleasure," commented Lafeu/Marik.

"This ring was mine. I gave it to his first wife," said the King/Yami.

"It might be yours or hers," replied Diana/Ryou.

"Taker her away. I do not like her now. To prison with her and away with him. Unless you tell me where you had this ring, you will die within the hour."

"I'll never tell you," Diana/Ryou responded.

"Take her away."

"I'll put in bail, my liege."

"I think you now some common customer."

"If ever I knew a man, it was you."

"Why have you accused him all this while?"

"Because he is guilty…and not guilty. He knows I am no maid and he will swear to it. I'll swear I am a maid and he knows not. My lord, I am no strumpet by my life. I am either maid or else this man's wife."

"She does abuse our ears. She'd be a perfect match for Lavache," muttered the King/Yami. "To prison with her."

"Good mother, fetch my bail. Stay, royal sir," exclaimed Diana/Ryou as the Widow/Malik exited the stage. "The jeweler that owes the ring is sent for, and he shall guarantee me. But for Bertram, who has abused me, as he knows himself, though yet he never harmed me, here…I quit him. He knows himself, my bed he has defiled. At that time he got his wife with child. Dead though she is, Helena feels her young one kick. So there's my riddle: one that's dead is quick. And now behold the meaning."

The Widow/Malik re-entered the stage with Helena/Joey. The court received the appearance of the "dead woman" in astonishment.

"Is there no exorcist that beguiles the truer office of my eyes! Is it real that I see!" proclaimed the King/Yami.

"No, my good lord. It is but the shadow of a wife ya see. The name and not the thing," said Helena/Joey.

"Both, both. Oh, pardon!" cried Bertram/Seto.

"Bertram, ya have fulfilled both obligations ya set out for me. I possess your ring and I am pregnant with your child. Dear Bertram, will ya be mine now that ya have been doubly won?" responded Helena/Joey.

"I am prepared to love you dearly, ever, ever dearly," replied Bertram/Seto.

Everybody appeared touched by their reunion.

Lafeu sniffed loudly as he sobbed. "My eyes smell onions!" he remarked. "Parolles, lend me a handkerchief and wait for me at home."

"Let us," started the King/Yami, "from point to point know this story, to make the even truth in pleasure flow. Diana, if you are a fresh flower, choose for yourself a husband and I'll pay your dowry."

Everyone on stage turned and faced the audience, exclaiming, "All is truly well if it ends well!"

The curtains closed and applause rang throughout the theatre. The play was finished.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 26**

**_Domino Theatre (Backstage)_**

"I'm so glad we're done with this play," sighed Joey. "I never have to wear this costume ever again!"

"I happen to like that costume on you, Puppy. It makes you look very ravishing," Seto noted with a predatory grin.

"Ravishin'? All ya can think about is sex, huh?"

"I don't just think about sex," Seto argued quietly. "I have a date planned, so—"

"A date?" cried Joey, eyes widening.

* * *

**_Kaiba Mansion _**

There was only one way to describe it: Seto had gone all out. He'd somehow managed to pull the bed closer to the fireplace in the center of the bedroom, lit the fireplace without burning the mansion to the ground, set out some food that was actually appealing to his sensitive sense of smell, and had carried him to the bed and tucked him under the covers, his Dragon snuggling up next to him.

"I take it that _this_ is our special date?" inquired Joey, a light blush tinting Seto's cheeks as he asked.

"Yes, Puppy. This is our special date. I just wanted to…you know…"

"Cuddle up with your cute and adorable Puppy?" Joey finished for him.

His blush grew darker. "Something like that."

Joey rested his head on Seto's shoulder, snuggling into him. "I really like this, Seto. You're such a hopeless romantic, though. I didn't know you had it in you."

"It was there…deep, deep down," mumbled Seto. Phase one was complete. He'd successfully pleased his Puppy with the romantic setting.

"Hey! No beatin' yourself up. Anythin' ya do for me is romantic. It doesn't matter how little or how big it is. As long as it's _you_ takin' the time to do somethin' with me, I'm completely happy."

"Good," Seto stammered.

_Why is he so nervous all of a sudden? _Joey thought to himself. "Is there somethin' ya wanted to tell me?" _Is that why you're so jumpy?_

"Um…sort of." Seto's voice cracked just a bit due to his nerves. He fidgeted, unsure of how to proceed.

"Just spit it out already." Leave it to Joey to arrive at the point. Seto reached into his pocket, fiddled around a bit, and pulled out a small velvet box. Could it be—

"Open it," Seto said quickly, pushing the box into the blond's hands.

Joey almost dropped it out of sheer angst. It couldn't be what he thought it was…could it? He opened it. It was!

Inside the velvet box were two silver rings.

Seto reached over and pulled out one of the rings shakily. "I really do love you. I hope you know how much I love you. And, if you're willing, I'd like you to—"

Joey figured a quick game of tonsil hockey would suffice as an answer, since he was a bit…incapable of speech due to being choked up and all. As he pulled away, he placed numerous light kisses around his Dragon's face before finding his mouth again.

Seto moaned and pulled Joey closer to him, but pulled away again just as quickly. "Shit!" he hissed.

"Huh?" Joey was still in la la land from their last kiss.

"I dropped the damn ring," he grumbled as he fussed with the sheets, searching anxiously for the ring.

Joey groaned. They'd never find it if his Dragon kept messing up the sheets. "Seto, stop. Let me find it. You're just gonna get it even more lost."

Seto did stop and he glared at his Puppy unhappily.

He had such a grumbly Dragon, but he loved him regardless. Joey took his time as he slid his hands through the sheets slowly in search of the ring, making little aggravating sounds when he couldn't find it.

During this whole process, Seto was getting increasingly turned on.

How could he get turned on by his Puppy searching for a ring, you ask? Well, look at it through Seto's eyes. Joey's rubbing his hands 'provocatively' up and down the sheets, making 'pleasing' sounds, as he 'desperately' searches for the ring. In other words, if you didn't get it, Seto's a major pervert. Enough said.

"Ah, yes!" That exclamation hit Seto hard in the groin. "I found it!" Joey held up the ring victoriously. "Huh? What's this?"

Joey noticed something inscribed in the ring. After reading it, tears started forming in his eyes. It said, 'My Puppy.'

"You're so sweet, Seto. I love ya."

Seto managed to will away his problem before responding. "I love you, too," he said, sliding the ring on Joey's finger. "Would you do the honors?"

The blond nodded and took Seto's ring from the box so he could put it on his Dragon's finger. He noticed something inscribed on this ring, also. It said, 'My Dragon.' This time, his tears fell. Sliding the ring onto Seto's finger, Joey laid his head on his shoulder again and held him close.

"How did I get so lucky to have ya, Seto?"

The brunet smiled warmly.

* * *

_His legs were burning. He couldn't breathe. He ran as fast as he could, but he just couldn't reach the light. The light meant safety, shelter, protection, security. So why couldn't he reach it? The closer he got, the further it went away. _

_It was getting closer now. He couldn't keep this up much longer. It would seize him and there would be no more light. There would only be darkness._

"_Puppy! Wake up!" _

* * *

Joey greedily took in air as he came into consciousness. His head was pounding and his heart raced as fast as if he'd just run a marathon.

"Look at me, Joey."

That was Seto's voice…wasn't it? Joey slowly moved his eyes in the direction of his lover's voice. The brunet looked concerned. Why? What happened? Where was he? Taking in his surroundings, he discovered he was in their room, in their bed. It was morning.

"Talk to me, Puppy. Are you all right? Hey!"

Seto's voice was growing more urgent. Why couldn't he say anything? Why couldn't he move? He tried to scream; he couldn't. Every part of his body felt as if it were being weighed down by some unnatural force. He couldn't even lift a finger.

And then it was gone. The weight holding him down was gone. And then he was shaking.

"Seto," Joey finally managed to rasp out.

"I'm right here, Puppy," the brunet replied anxiously, pulling his lover into his lap and holding him. Joey's hand latched onto him, his grip turning his knuckles white.

"Feel strange—Seto." Joey suddenly arched his back as a wave of pain hit him. It felt like his nerves were on fire, his molecular structure ripping to shreds. Tears started forming in his eyes, the pain coming and going every few seconds.

"Puppy, what do I do? What's wrong?" Seto cried desperately. He didn't know what to do. First, Joey had been as stiff as a statue and now he was writhing in pain.

Joey closed his eyes and concentrated on willing away the pain, but then a strange thought crept into his mind. Instead, he began creating a light in the darkness. And there it was! A small light. But wait. Why was it going away? He focused on the small speck of light, willing it to get bigger with all his might. There! The light was getting bigger now.

The darkness was gone.

Joey opened his eyes. He was fine; he was breathing normally again.

"Joey?" Seto called quietly.

Joey sat up from the bed slowly. "Seto, somethin's wrong with me," he whimpered fearfully.

The brunet had never seen him so terrified before. He unsteadily sat on the bed and soon found himself with an armful of his distraught Puppy.

"It feels dark…like…like…"

"Like what?"

"The Shadow Realm," Joey said, his voice trailing off. There needed to be a millennium item for that, right? But those were all gone now. "And it feels like I could…"

"Like you could what?" Seto urged him. He was afraid of the answer.

"Seto," Joey cried desolately, "it feels like I could die."

"I don't understand."

"Me neither, but it's just a feeling. Like I know…Seto…I'm so tired, Seto. So…tired."

Seto felt Joey go limp in his arms. He wasn't breathing.

"Puppy! Puppy! No! You can't do this to me!" He lifted Joey in his arms and staggered out into the hallway. "Somebody help me!" he screamed. He sounded like a wounded animal.

Everyone came pouring out of their rooms to see what the commotion was about.

"Joey!" shrieked Yugi.

"What's wrong with him, Kaiba?" asked Yami.

"He stopped breathing!" Seto screamed once more, clutching Joey to him desperately.

None of them had ever seen the powerful CEO so vulnerable before, but Duke finally took action.

"Lay him down on the floor!" Duke ordered immediately. Seto did so and Duke ran over to them. He frantically checked for Joey's pulse. He couldn't find one. Immediately, he began administering CPR. Seconds later, the blond began breathing and his pale complexion began to wane. He even started opening his eyes.

"Seto?" Joey called weakly.

"I'm here," Seto gasped happily, pulling Joey into his arms once more. "I'm so glad you're all right."

* * *

Seto felt lost. He'd come so close to losing his lover this morning. Why did it seem like everything was turning against them? Did something out there really hate them that much that it had to destroy every ounce of happiness that came their way?

Stepping toward the bed Joey currently laid on, Seto ran his fingers through the silky blond locks. He hated this feeling, the one where he felt helpless. What if something out there really _was_ trying to purposely hurt them, or rather, Joey? What could he do to stop it?

Seto leaned down and placed a kiss on Joey's forehead and lay next to him on the bed. Wrapping an arm around his Puppy's waist, he pulled him closer to him, more for his own comfort than Joey's.

"I love you so much, Puppy," he whispered into Joey's hair. "I don't want to lose you. You mean the world to me.

Joey felt something warm hit his cheek. It felt like…

"Seto? Are ya cryin'?" Joey asked in surprise, fully awake now as he turned to face his lover. He was met with a tear-stricken face and sullen blue eyes. Reaching out to cup his cheek, Joey leaned forward and kissed his tears away. "Don't cry. Please don't cry," he whispered in Seto's ear.

Joey felt Seto's arms tighten around his waist as he was pulled closer to the brunet. "What are we going to do?" he rasped out.

"There's only one thing we can do," Joey answered calmly. "We live our lives. If somethin' happens along the way, we'll deal with it then. Everythin's fine now. I'm okay, you're okay, everyone's okay. We need to be strong and take it one day at a time."

Seto nodded in compliance. After all they'd been through, how could his Puppy still remain so calm and reassuring? Choosing not to fixate on anything negative, he decided to change the subject. "The rest of the duels are today. Do you think you're up for it?"

Joey smiled. "Ya bet. But can we get somethin' to eat first? I'm starved."

* * *

**_Domino Duel Dome_**

"Welcome back to the Domino Duel Dome!" shouted the announcer. "It's time to activate the computer for the last time in this round! We will be having two duels today which means the last four duelists will be selected!"

"DUELIST NUMBER TWENTY-THREE...VALON….DECK….CARD BOMB! BOOM!," said the computer.

"Valon! Come claim your deck!" yelled the announcer. After Valon received his deck, the computer started processing again.

"DUELIST NUMBER TWENTY-FOUR….REX RAPTOR….DECK….LIVELY ELECTRICITY!"

"All right! So our first duel will be Valon (Deck – Card Bomb! Boom!) vs. Rex Raptor (Deck – Lively Electricity!). Let's give a round of applause for our competitors!"

"DUELIST NUMBER TWENTY-FIVE….DUKE DEVLIN….DECK….GO TAKASU-C." Duke stepped up to accept his deck.

"DUELIST NUMBER TWENTY-SIX….ISHIZU ISHTAR….DECK….FIGHT UNTIL VICTORY."

"Excellent! Our last duel of the day will be Duke Devlin (Deck – Go Takasu-C) vs. Ishizu Ishtar (Deck – Fight Until Victory). Let's give them a hand and duel!"

* * *

**_Duel #12 – Valon vs. Rex Raptor_**

"Let's have our first two duelists come on up!," called the announcer. "We have Valon using the deck Card Bomb! Boom! and Rex Raptor using the deck Lively Electricity! Let's duel!"

"Are you ready, Dinoman?" teased Valon.

"Prepare to be shocked," Rex replied.

* * *

**_Time Passes_**

"And our winner is….Valon! Congratulations! Okay now let's have everyone clear the floor for the final duel of Round 1."

* * *

**_Duel #13 – Duke Devlin vs. Ishizu Ishtar_**

"Now we have our final two duelists. Duke Devlin, who will be using the Go Takasu-C deck and Ishizu Ishtar, who will be using the deck Fight Until Victory. It's time to duel."

"I'll have you know, this will not be easy," said Ishizu.

"Yeah," answered Duke.

* * *

**_Time Passes_**

"And our winner is….Ishizu! Congratulations! Okay now let's have everyone clear the floor and we'll get onto the Wild Card!" Oohs and aahs sounded around the arena. "Since we have a total of thirteen winners and Round 2 is the tag duel round, the Wild Card draw will eliminate one of our finalists from the tournament. The computer will run through all thirteen remaining duelists and randomly select one finalist for elimination, giving us twelve duelists. Let the Wild Card phase begin!"

Everyone watched in awe as the computer started running through all thirteen duelists. It started out fast and gradually started to slow down, like roulette. And it finally stopped on—

"BAKURA," announced the computer.

"WHAT?" Bakura screamed out angrily. "No! I will not be taken out of this tournament!"

Ryou slapped him.

"What was that for?" Bakura screeched in astonishment; Ryou had actually _slapped_ him!

"For being obtuse. The computer selected randomly. Now hush up and accept it or no sex," declared Ryou.

Bakura gulped.

"Hehehe!" the announcer laughed nervously. "Well, now that we have our twelve remaining duelists, it's now time for the computer to select the pairings. Once you're paired up, you'll have two days to create a deck together. The both of you will be sharing that deck when you duel as a pair. I'll explain more on that when Round 2 begins, but first, let's have the computer select your partners."

The computer whizzed to life once more.

PAIR NUMBER ONE – MALIK AND ISHIZU.

PAIR NUMBER TWO – PEGASUS AND YAMI.

PAIR NUMBER THREE – KAIBA AND JOEY.

PAIR NUMBER FOUR – YUGI AND ODION.

PAIR NUMBER FIVE – VALON AND REBECCA.

PAIR NUMBER SIX – MARIK AND MAI.

"Woah! Well, would you look at that? It seems we're in for one heck of a Round 2! All right partners, pair up and get started on creating your deck! You duel in two days!" said the announcer, releasing them to do whatever they pleased at this point.

"What are the chances," Joey started suddenly, "that we'd be paired up for this tournament?" He eyed Seto suspiciously. "Did ya hack into the system and rig this?"

"What? No! I would never do something like that. You'd hate me if I did that. I promise you, Puppy, I did no such thing," Seto said truthfully. He was just as surprised as Joey was.

"Hm. Does somethin'—or someone—actually want us to duel together? And if so, is it to help us…or hurt us?"

Seto wrapped his arms around Joey and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I don't know, Puppy. But I'm glad you're my partner. It means I can keep an eye on you. But…what do you want to do for our deck? We don't find out who we're dueling until the day we duel."

"I was thinkin' about that. And I have an idea," Joey replied mischievously.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 27**

**_Kaiba Mansion_**

"All done!" Joey announced as he walked into their bedroom.

Seto looked up from his spot on the bed, his laptop on his lap. "Done with what?"

"Our deck for the tournament," he replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Our deck? I thought we were going to do that together."

"Well…we were, but I kinda got carried away and so…yeah," Joey finished sheepishly. "Do ya wanna have a look?"

"Sure," Seto replied, closing his laptop and accepting the deck Joey handed him. "Is it well balanced?"

"Ya mean a standard forty card deck? Yep! Um…is that what ya mean by balanced?"

"We'll see," said Seto as he started flipping through the cards. He was impressed and quite amazed that his Puppy had created such an unusual but interesting deck. But would it work during the tournament?

It consisted of the following cards:

* * *

**Monsters (20)**

_Level 7+_

3 x Blue-Eyes White Dragon (Lv. 8)

3 x Red-Eyes Black Dragon (Lv. 7)

_Level 1-4_

1 x Axe Dragonute (Lv. 4)

1 x Blizzard Dragon (Lv. 4)

1 x Breaker the Magical Warrior (Lv. 4)

2 x Debris Dragon (Lv. 4)

2 x Kaiser Sea Horse (Lv. 4)

1 x Luster Dragon (Lv. 4)

2 x Mask of Darkness (Lv. 2)

1 x Sangan (Lv. 3)

1 x Spear Dragon (Lv. 4)

1 x Spirit Reaper (Lv. 3)

1 x The Light – Hex-Sealed Fusion (Lv. 3)

**Spell (10)**

1 x Brain Control

2 x Burst Stream of Destruction

1 x Dragon's Mirror

2 x Foolish Burial

1 x Heavy Storm

1 x Megamorph

1 x Mystical Space Typhoon

1 x Smashing Ground

**Trap (10)**

2 x Birthright

2 x Dust Tornado

1 x Magic Cylinder

2 x Mirror Force

1 x Sakuretsu Armor

2 x Torrential Tribute

* * *

"It's interesting, Puppy, but…do you think there are too many high level monsters in here?" Seto asked, looking back up at the blond. He regretted the words as soon as he'd said them. The downcast and hurt look on Joey's face was enough to make his blood run cold. He _had_ spent a great deal of time and thought into creating this deck, and it reflected the both of them accurately. Perhaps he should let it go.

"I'm sorry, Puppy. I'm sure this deck will work fine," Seto offered consolingly.

"But ya said—"

"I know what I said," interrupted the brunet, "but I think I'll trust you on this one."

Joey nodded, albeit reluctantly, and sat on the bed, taking the deck from Seto's hand. He looked like a wounded animal with that distraught look on his face.

Seto sighed and pulled Joey into his lap. "Look at me, Puppy." He did. "We are _going_ to use your deck. No complaints. Understand? Or I'll be forced to spank you," he teased.

Joey 'eeped' and struggled to get off his lover's lap. Seto chuckled as he let his Puppy scramble to the other side of the bed.

"Are…ya sure you're okay with this deck?" Joey asked timidly. He didn't want them to lose because of him.

"I'm positive. We'll use it just as it is."

"Okay…um…what are we supposed to be doin' for the tag duels anyway?" Joey inquired curiously.

"I have absolutely no idea," replied Seto as he crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back.

"But…didn't ya—"

"Puppy, I may have initiated this tournament, but the rules for the dueling are entirely up to the board at my company. Since I chose to compete, I'm kept in the dark about the goings-on as far as the rules and regulations go."

"Oh. So ya don't have an advantage then?"

"Not unless you consider my excellent expertise at dueling an advantage," Seto said with a smirk.

Joey whacked him in the head with a pillow. "Jerk," he muttered under his breath.

"I heard that. Now come here." Seto reached over and grabbed Joey's wrist so that he could pull him next to him. The blond curled up next to the CEO and rested his head on Seto's chest, sighing deeply.

After Joey sniffed and nuzzled him a time or two, Seto grew concerned. "Is something bothering you, Puppy?"

Joey lay still for a few minutes before turning his teary eyes toward Seto. He nodded and hugged him as tightly as he could.

The brunet stroked his back as comfortingly as he knew how, but Joey's quiet sobs weren't soothed.

"Shh…what's wrong? And I don't think it's about the deck either, so don't lie to me."

"I-I…I don't want t-to leave ya," Joey stammered.

Seto sat up and pulled the blond back into his lap. "What do you mean by that?" Seto asked anxiously.

"I'm afraid that this—us—isn't meant to be. What if somethin' happens to me? Or worse…you! It seems like whenever we get closer to one another, somethin' happens that tries to drive us apart. What then? I can't lose ya! And I know ya don't wanna lose me…but what if we don't have a choice in the matter?"

How long had Joey been thinking this? What he said…it was like a knife to his heart. Having the blond voice his concerns, expressing the idea that they had no control over what happened to them…had never occurred to him before. It made life seem all the more fragile.

"I don't want to lose you, either." But what if he did? What if he had no control over it? Did destiny—fate—really play a role in everyone's life? If that were so, then life wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all!

Seto tightened his grip around Joey and rested his chin atop his head, rocking him back and forth. "Just know," Seto began, "that I will always love you…and only you."

"I love ya, too," whimpered Joey, burying his face in the crook of Seto's neck.

"Do you think something is going to happen to us?" Seto didn't want to ask the question, but he felt he needed to.

"Yes," came the muffled reply.

* * *

**_Domino Duel Dome_**

The past two days had gone by painstakingly slow. And Seto and Joey had been rather quiet toward each other since their distressing discussion. They weren't mad at each other, just upset that what they shared might soon come to an abrupt end against their will—by forces they had no control over.

Life was cruel that way. But Seto was damned if he'd let _anything_ harm his Puppy. He'd do everything in his power to stop it…even if it meant asking Joey's friends.

He knew that their fight with whatever force was out there—the one that had tried to kill Joey only a few days ago—was only biding its time. He knew it was waiting for them. He knew it was waiting to strike at the right time. He knew it wanted Joey. And he knew that he had no idea how to stop it.

Helpless. He felt completely helpless. But he had to remain at his Puppy's side no matter what.

"Seto? Are ya ready?"

Joey's soft voice drew him from his thoughts. "Hm?"

Laughing quietly, the blond repeated, "Are ya ready? The tournament is about to start again. Round 2, remember?"

Seto smiled. "Yeah, I remember. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"You…us…everything…" Great. He was starting to feel depressed again.

"Don't do that, Seto," Joey said, cupping his chin.

"Do what?"

"Think too much. You're only gonna make things worse for yourself if ya think of every possible outcome our future might hold," he stressed. "Just…enjoy every minute ya do have with me, our family, and our friends. Ya _can _live in the moment, but only if ya _believe_ in the future."

"But what if we don't have a future?" Seto voiced powerlessly.

"If all your time is spent focusin' on us not havin' a future together, you're missin' out on the time we could be spending together. We know there is going to be a tomorrow, but it's _today_ we need to get through. Tomorrow will always be another today…at some point, anyway."

Seto eyed him strangely. "Have you been secretly taking philosophy classes or something? Because I'm not sure I understood a word you just said."

Joey groaned. "What I mean is, forget about what _could_ happen tomorrow! Live in _today_, with _me_, okay? Treasure each and every moment of the here and now. Don't make yourself anxious about what could or could not happen the next day. You'll make yourself a nervous wreck. Now, are we gonna duel or not?"

"Yes, Puppy. We're going to duel," Seto replied, taking Joey's hand as they made their way into the arena. The here and now, huh? He supposed he could do that.

* * *

"Welcome back, everyone!" cried the announcer enthusiastically. "Can we have our dueling tag teams place their decks into the slots on the main computer, please?"

One person from each team stepped forward and placed their respective deck into a slot on the computer. It practically sliced their fingers off, it closed so quickly.

"Thank you. This way, you will not be able to make any alterations to your decks. Are we ready for the rules of the game?"

The crowd roared its consent.

"All right. First off, Round 2 will not be your typical game of Duel Monsters. Instead, Round 2 will be Tag Duel Monsters War! Each pair will square off against another pair, and the winning pair moves onto the Semi-Finals!

"But before we get there, let's hear the rules of the game. Each pair has created a standard forty card deck consisting of monsters, spells, and traps. Drawing will be the same as in a regular game of Duel Monsters; you draw five cards to start out with and whenever it's your turn, you draw one card. You and your partner will only draw five cards and one consecutively each time it's your turn. No more, no less.

"After each team has drawn a card, partners will select one card from their hand to place face-down on the field. After both pairs have done so, the cards flip and the winner of that phase will be determined by which cards have been placed down. The winning side will place their card back into their deck, while the losing side must remove their card from play. Let me explain.

"We all know that monsters have different levels. If two monsters face off on the field after being revealed—for example, one is level four and the other is level two—the higher leveled monster will win.

"If a spell card faces off against a monster with a level ranging from one to four, the monster is removed from play and the spell card returns to the respective deck. If a spell card faces off against a monster with a level of five and above, the spell card is removed from play and the monster returns to the respective deck.

"If a trap card faces a monster with a level of five and above, the monster is removed from play and the trap card returns to the respective deck. If a trap card faces a monster with a level of four and below, the trap card is removed from play and the monster returns to the respective deck.

"However, if two spell cards or two trap cards or two monsters of the same level face each other, both cards are removed from play. The pair who loses all of their cards first, loses the duel.

"Are we ready to begin?"

All participating duelists stared at the announcer blankly.

"Puppy? All I have to say is that I am fucking glad you put so many high level monsters in our deck." Seto wasn't sure if he should be pleased with the board at his company or appalled. There was no way this expressed dueling skill, but it did require strategy…and a hell of a lot of guessing and luck.

"You're welcome?" Joey replied unsurely. He was still trying to grasp the rules of the game. "Do…ya think it'd be possible for someone to have a draw?"

"I have no fucking clue. I don't know what the hell my board was thinking when they created this set-up."

"Well, there's only one way to find out. We duel."

"Okay!" started the announcer once more. "Now that you know the rules, let's get started! Let's fire up the computer and have your opponents selected." The announcer turned the computer on and it began processing the information.

"DUEL NUMBER ONE….SETO AND JOEY….VERSUS….VALON AND REBECCA.

"DUEL NUMBER TWO….PEGASUS AND YAMI….VERSUS….YUGI AND ODION.

"DUEL NUMBER THREE….MALIK AND ISHIZU….VERSUS….MARIK AND MAI."

"Awesome!" screamed the announcer. "Let's begin Round 2! Let the Tag Duels begin!"

* * *

**_Duel #1 – Seto and Joey vs. Valon and Rebecca_**

Both pairs grabbed their decks and headed toward the duelist platform.

"This is gonna be a pain in the ass," Joey mumbled.

"Tell me about it," Seto grumbled in response as he placed their deck down. Then he drew five cards. Joey peered at his hand.

"Well…that's a pretty good draw," said Joey.

"Maybe, but we can only play one card at a time. Now we get to draw another card." With that, Seto drew the next one.

"Which one should we place on the field?" Joey asked, looking over their cards.

"Hn."

"Let's put down this one!" Joey announced suddenly, pointing to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in Seto's hand.

"I'm not sure."

"Come on. They won't be expecting that kind of monster in the beginnin'," Joey urged.

Seto sighed and consented. He placed their Blue-Eyes face-down on the field. Valon and Rebecca placed a card down as well.

Both cards flipped over at the same time, revealing a Trap Hole on their opponent's side. Their Blue-Eyes White Dragon was removed from play since it was level eight.

Joey gulped as he looked up at _his_ glaring Dragon. "Okay, so maybe this is gonna be harder than I thought."

"Yeah. One down and thirty-nine more to go," Seto snapped.

"Hey! Don't be like that! We can still win!" Joey protested.

"We'll see."

* * *

**_Time Passes_**

"And our winners are….Seto and Joey! Congratulations! With only two cards left in the game, they pulled out an amazing victory!"

"That's it," Seto muttered. "I'm firing them all."

"Seto! We won, didn't we? We made it to the Semi-Finals at least!"

"I know that!" the brunet spat. "But what the hell do they have in store for the next round?"

"I don't know, but we'll get through it! Don't worry!" Joey reassured him cheerfully.

Seto couldn't help but think otherwise. Why had his board done the dueling this way? Were they purposely trying to find a way to make him lose by creating _chance_ duels? Or was it the other way around?

* * *

**_Duel #2 – Pegasus and Yami vs. Yugi and Odion_**

Yugi felt like he was in shock. Pegasus—the one who'd kidnapped his Grandpa and sealed his soul in a card—was talking animatedly with Yami! Yami of all people! They were getting along as if they had been friends their whole lives!

This was just too much to take in.

"Are you ready, Yugi?" Odion asked his partner.

"I guess so," he answered quietly. This wasn't what he had in mind as far as dueling went, but a duel was a duel…right?

* * *

**_Time Passes_**

"And the winners are….Pegasus and Yami! Absolutely spectacular! It wasn't even a close duel!"

Yugi stepped off the duel platform in defeat. They'd lost. _He'd_ lost. He'd actually lost. And without a fight! He'd always kept it close. How could this be? Was his judgment impaired or something?

* * *

**_Duel #3 – Malik and Ishizu vs. Marik and Mai_**

He didn't want to face his Malik.

Marik looked toward the other side of the duelist platform. Malik gave him a soft, reassuring smile, but…he still didn't want to duel him. He didn't feel right about doing it.

* * *

**_Time Passes_**

"And our winners are…Marik and Mai! Fantastic! It almost seemed as if it were just a faceoff between Marik and Ishizu! Let's give all of our participants a big round of applause!"

Cheers resounded throughout the Duel Dome as all duelists waved to the crowd.

"The Semi-Finals will occur within the next two days. Duelists will _not_ need to construct a deck, but you _will_ remain with your partners for the Semi-Finals! Again, our winners are Seto and Joey, Pegasus and Yami, and Marik and Mai! Have a nice day and we'll see you in two days!"

"Why do we have to stay with our partners for the Semi-Finals?" Joey asked inquisitively.

"I have no idea. It might have something to do with the number of duelists remaining. There are a total of six. If we were paired off to duel one another that would leave three finalists. I don't see how that would work out, so perhaps that's why we're remaining in pairs."

"But…wouldn't that mean the winnin' pair would face each other in the Finals?"

"It might. This is beginning to get a bit too extraordinary. You winning by default, us being paired together, us advancing to the Semi-Finals, I don't think this is all a coincidence, Puppy."

Joey looked thoughtful for a moment. "I wonder…does someone want us to make it to the Finals? If so, for what reason?"

"I don't know. I hate to say this, but I'd feel safer if we lost during the Semi-Finals," Seto stated truthfully.

"Lose on purpose?" exclaimed Joey.

Seto nodded. "If this is the only way I can protect you, we _will_ lose. I don't want either of us in any unnecessary danger. Something doesn't seem right about all this. We need to lose."

Joey was taken aback. Seto must really care for him if he were willing to lose face in front of everyone. He wanted them to lose so that he could protect them.

"Okay, Seto. At the Semi-Finals…we'll lose."

* * *

**_Domino Duel Dome _**

"Welcome back! Today's Semi-Finals are going to be a real blast!" yelled the announcer.

The crowd cheered enthusiastically.

"Great! First off, the Semi-Finals will, again, not be your typical game of Duel Monsters. Instead, this will be Tag Duel Monsters Memory! It will be a triple face off, and the winning pair will face each other at the Finals!

"Here are the rules of the game. This round will be played like a typical game of Memory, where you have a bunch of face-down cards and you pick two. If they're a match, those cards are removed from play and you receive a point.

"However, Tag Duel Monsters Memory will be played a tad bit differently. We have a new duel platform that is in the shape of a hexagon, so our six remaining duelists will each have a side. This is to ensure that our pairs are unable to communicate with one another.

"The game will be played on a turn basis for each pair. When it's Pair One's turn, each person will select one card at a time on the field, which has twenty face-down cards. After the selections are made, both cards flip face-up. If they are two spell cards, two trap cards, or two of the same monster, you have a match. These cards are then removed from play and the pair receives one point. Two new cards then take their place face-down on the field.

"If the pair doesn't make a match, those cards are flipped face-down. Whether the pair wins or loses, it doesn't matter, because it will automatically be the next pair's turn. The first pair to receive ten points will win and face each other in the Finals.

"Good luck and may the best pair win!"

Seto narrowed his eyes at the announcer. Even though it wasn't his fault, Seto still wasn't sure what to make of this scenario. A memory game didn't prove dueling skill, so why did his board do this? Well, either way, it'd make it a lot easier to lose.

"Don't forget, Puppy," Seto whispered as they headed toward the new duel platform, "we're going to lose."

Joey nodded his head and gave Seto a quick kiss before proceeding to his edge of the hexagon, Seto following suit.

* * *

**_Semi-Finals – Seto and Joey vs. Pegasus and Yami vs. Marik and Mai_**

It was now their turn. Seto and Joey had been lucky enough to have Marik and Mai, and Pegasus and Yami go first. Their turns resulted in no matches, so it'd be easy for them to purposely get an unmatched set.

Selecting a card Joey knew to be a spell card, Seto then selected one that they'd seen was a trap. When the cards flipped over, however, they were both matching monsters.

_What the hell?_ Seto thought. That wasn't how the game of memory was played. You tried to remember where cards were when they were flipped over and flipped back down. That's how the game was played. That's how it worked. But the cards were shifting! What the hell was going on?

Joey gave him a confused look and Seto could do nothing but shrug his shoulders in response. Losing was going to be harder than they originally thought. It was like gambling. But what could you do when the odds were in your favor when you didn't want them to be?

* * *

**_Some Time Passes_**

They were in the lead. They were actually in the lead. They had nine points. One more and they'd win.

By now, Seto had it figured out. The cards only shifted when it was their turn. And every turn, they won. It didn't matter what they did. They just kept getting matches.

Joey hesitated when it was his turn to select their first card. They were supposed to lose on purpose, weren't they? So why couldn't they lose? That was the point, right? Something out there wanted them to win, so that's why they were winning. There was no way they could forfeit the match either. What would happen if they won?

Finally selecting a card, Joey waited anxiously for Seto to make his choice. When he did, they waited. It felt like the longest five seconds of their lives. After the cards finally flipped—

It wasn't a match!

Both Seto and Joey's eyes widened.

Hadn't something been trying to make them win? Why hadn't they gotten a match now?

* * *

**_More Time Passes_**

No one had won yet. Everyone had a total of nine matches now, and it was Seto and Joey's turn.

Joey couldn't take the pressure anymore and just chose a random card. It seemed as if Seto had had enough, too, because he randomly selected a card as well.

Both cards flipped over, only to reveal—

No match!

Seto wasn't sure about this turn of events. First, the odds were in their favor, now, they weren't. Were they supposed to win…or not? He didn't like this feeling of not knowing. And he anxiously waited for Marik and Mai to have their turn.

Theirs wasn't a match either. It was now up to Pegasus and Yami. If they made a match, they'd win. And if they didn't…Joey and Seto still had a chance of winning, but the brunet wasn't sure whether it made a difference or not.

The two cards flipped over. It was a match. Pegasus and Yami had won the Semi-Finals.

"All right! It looks like we have our winners! In two days, we will have our final duel and it will be Pegasus versus Yami!" exclaimed the announcer.

Joey carefully hopped down from the duel platform and raced over to Seto. "We lost!" he announced.

"Yeah, Pup. I know."

Seto noticed that Joey looked uneasy. "I'm not so sure we should have."

"I…kind of have that feeling, too. There's nothing we can do about that now, but I do think this game was rigged somehow. Proving that, however, is nearly impossible. It's just…strange. In the beginning, we won our first nine turns, and then we lost after that. I don't care what anyone says. The probability of that happening is just too low, naturally."

"It makes ya wonder. Did we lose because someone's tryin' to help us…or hurt us?"

"To this day, I'm still unable to answer that sort of question. But to be on the safe side, I want you to stay with me at all times. Understand?" Seto stated seriously.

Joey grabbed Seto's hand and squeezed it. "I'll never leave your side." He hoped he could keep that promise.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 28**

**_Kaiba Mansion (Day of the Finals)_**

Joey felt like a nervous wreck. Never, in his entire life, had he felt so uneasy. He could feel something coming, something bad, but he didn't know what. All he knew was that it was going to be soon.

"Do we have to go?" Joey asked urgently, tugging on Seto's sleeve. "Can't we just stay home?"

The brunet became perplexed by Joey's sudden angst. "Puppy, I'm sorry. We have to go. I need to be at the Domino Duel Dome to congratulate the winner of my tournament. You're coming with me. I'm _not_ letting you out of my sight. I told you that already."

"But…"

"But what?"

"Somethin' doesn't feel right. Somethin's off."

"Puppy," Seto started, cupping the blond's frightened face in his hands, "I will not let anything happen to you. I promise. I'll protect you. Now, do you mind if we head to the Duel Dome?"

Joey nodded reluctantly and followed Seto closely to the front door. He couldn't help but feel like someone was watching his every move…and he hoped that Seto would be able to keep his promise.

* * *

**_Domino Duel Dome_**

"Today is the last day of the tournament! Is everyone excited?" cried the announcer enthusiastically.

The audience roared its compliance.

"Then let's get this show on the road! Our finalists are Yami and Pegasus! They will each be using a deck they created themselves. The winner of this duel will be the Champion of Kaiba Corp.! Can we have our two final duelists step up to the platform?"

* * *

**_Final Duel – Yami vs. Pegasus_**

"This duel should be quite interesting," said Pegasus.

"Yes. We'll see who the better duelist is," added Yami.

* * *

**_Time Passes_**

"And our winner and Champion of Kaiba Corp. is…Yami!"

The crowd screamed its appreciation of the winner. Yami stepped off the duelist platform and up to the podium placed near the center of the Duel Dome.

"Can I have Seto Kaiba come on up to congratulate our winner?" stated the announcer.

Seto turned to Joey and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I'll be right back. You won't even know I'm gone."

Before the blond could react, Seto had left to congratulate Yami, leaving him alone in the crowd.

But Seto was right. He'd be fine. He'd only be gone for a minute or two. All he had to do was wait and—

Something caught Joey's attention from the corner of his eye. Looking toward his right, he saw a long, dark shadow disappear around the corner.

That…was strange. He glanced back up at Seto, who was now shaking Yami's hand. Soon, Seto would be—

Joey's head whipped to the side again. _Another_ shadow went around the corner! What the hell _was_ that? Should he go check it out, or wait for Seto to come back? But if he waited, whatever was there was might be gone and he might never get the chance to figure out what was going on!

Giving Seto one last, quick glance, Joey headed in the direction both shadows had disappeared to.

* * *

Seto released Yami's hand and made to step away from the podium. His eyes panned the masses of people, looking for Joey. He froze when his Puppy was nowhere in sight. Pushing people out of his way, Seto grew frantic, yelling out Joey's name over and over again.

It was no use.

Joey was gone.

* * *

Joey turned the corner the two shadows had gone and was now in a long hallway. Was this actually part of the floor plan of this place?

Making his way down the hall, the blond felt a surge of power rush through his body. He shut his eyes, suddenly feeling the urge to vomit. Dropping down onto his knees, he clutched his stomach and groaned.

A few seconds later, he'd emptied the contents of his stomach. He wiped his mouth with a shaky hand and opened his eyes.

"What the hell?" Joey whispered to himself. He stood up and took in his new surroundings. There was no way in hell he was in the Domino Duel Dome anymore. Not with this purple fog.

He'd somehow landed himself in the Shadow Realm.

* * *

"Damn it all to hell! Where the fuck are you?" Seto roared.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?" called Bakura, approaching the CEO.

"He's gone. I can't find him anywhere. He's just…gone," Seto stated quietly.

"Gone? Who's gone?" asked Duke.

"Joey! He's gone!" screamed Seto helplessly.

"Joey's not here anymore. We have to go get him," Yami said suddenly.

"What do you mean by not here?" Seto asked quickly.

Yami hesitated for a moment before answering. "He's not in this world anymore, Kaiba. Joey…is in the Shadow Realm."

"How the hell do you know that?"

"Because he can feel it," said Bakura. "And so can I."

* * *

The Shadow Realm. He couldn't believe he was in the fucking Shadow Realm. But how on earth did he get here?

Joey stared in every direction, not knowing what to do. Each way led absolutely nowhere as far as he could tell. It all looked the same to him. There was just a whole lot of swirling purple fog and a whole lot of nothing.

Well, he had to do something besides standing here forever. And who knew how long it would take before someone came for him, let alone realized he was actually here in the first place.

He sighed and started walking straight. What else could he do?

About half an hour later, which felt more like forever and a day, Joey collapsed on the ground from exhaustion. Why was he so tired?

As if his body had a mind of its own, he lay on the ground, brought his knees up to his chest, closed his eyes, and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

"The…Shadow Realm?" Seto echoed breathlessly. His knees suddenly felt weak. Marik and Bakura caught him as the CEO's legs buckled beneath him. "No. It's all my fault. I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to him…and I just left him all alone."

"Pull yourself together!" snapped Bakura. "You're no help to him acting like a pathetic weakling. He's in the Shadow Realm! Don't you think we ought to go after him?"

Bakura was right. Acting like this wasn't going to bring Joey back. And who knew what was happening to him this very moment. He needed to save him now!

Steadying himself, Seto hardened his face and stood to his full height. "How do I get there? How do I get to the Shadow Realm?"

"First, you're going to need a little bit of help," announced Pegasus, walking toward them. "So I suggest we head back to your mansion to pick up a few things."

* * *

Joey's nose wrinkled…and then he sneezed. Quickly opening his eyes, he shot up from the ground like lightning.

Where the hell was he now? This still couldn't be the Shadow Realm…could it?

Standing on shaky legs, Joey took in his surroundings once more. He was in a field; a grassy, meadow-like field. There were even flowers and some butterflies fluttering around. Various trees littered the distance, as well as what looked like—

"A castle?" exclaimed Joey. What the fuck was a castle doing in the middle of the Shadow Realm? It looked like something out of a fairytale or something. Just what the hell was going on?

Joey groaned and looked in the direction of the castle. It was no use standing around here doing nothing, so he might as well head to the place where there _might_ at least be one living person other than butterflies hanging around.

"Don't do it," Joey said aloud, trying to convince himself that going to the castle was a bad idea, but his feet seemed to think differently. He knew—deep, deep…deep down—that going to this gorgeous castle meant nothing but trouble. But he didn't have any other choice.

What was that saying? Sometimes looks could be deceiving?

* * *

"Yami, are you sure he's in the Shadow Realm?" Seto asked again upon reaching the mansion.

"I'm positive!" stressed Yami.

Bakura huffed.

"What is it 'Kura?" asked Ryou.

"I'm trying to find out _where _in the Shadow Realm he is. It's made up of different levels, some more pleasant than others. _How_ he was taken into the Shadow Realm may give us some clue as to _where_ to go fetch him," answered Bakura knowingly. "What did you feel exactly?"

Yami frowned in thought. "There was a pulling sensation from the Shadow Realm. Of that, I'm sure. He must have faded into the Shadow Realm rather than being sucked in."

"And that means…he's probably somewhere in the second level of the Shadow Realm," stated Bakura.

"And _that_ means?" asked Seto.

"_That_ means he's in one of the more pleasant spots," said Bakura, crossing his arms, "but also one of the most dangerous."

* * *

Well…he'd reached the fucking castle, complete with towers, flags, gatehouse, you name it. It even had a goddamn moat!

"And still no sign of life," Joey said uneasily.

He was still debating whether or not to go into the castle. There wasn't really much going on for him out here, so he might as well see if he could find a way back home inside the castle.

Taking one cautious step right after another, Joey crossed the drawbridge and headed inside.

It was magnificent. Beautiful. He was right to have called it something right out of a fairytale. The only thing that made it creepy, however, was the lack of…life.

But soon, something yellow caught his eye.

"Was that…Ojama Yellow?" Joey questioned the vacant air. "Hey! Come back!" Joey yelled, racing after him.

He ran through at least three hallways in the damn castle and as nearly as many staircases.

No one was here! Absolutely no one!

"Well, what do we have here, Mika?"

"It looks like someone's lost their way, Taro."

Joey spun around at those sultry voices. "Who are ya?" His burning ruby eyes met two pairs of smoldering purple ones.

"Look! He doesn't remember us! Although, it has been quite some time," replied Mika playfully.

Joey took a hesitant step back. "What the hell do ya want?" Joey snapped.

"Ooh! He's feisty! I think I like that," laughed Taro, quickly approaching Joey. He backed him into the wall behind him. "Wouldn't you like to play with us, Joey?"

"Get away from me!" Joey spat, shoving Taro away from him.

"Oh, look. You've made him angry," mocked Mika.

Taro shoved him back before Joey knew what was happening, hitting his head against the wall. As Joey gradually slipped into unconsciousness, he heard Taro whisper, "We'll have fun together later my sweet, little Joey."

* * *

"How do we get there?" Seto demanded once more. He needed answers and he'd be damned if he didn't get them.

"With help," said Pegasus. "You'll need a guide who is familiar with this level of the Shadow Realm. And I believe I already know this certain someone."

"Who?" asked Duke.

"A certain Dunames Dark Witch. She's a Duel Spirit," said Pegasus. "She'll be a great addition when you venture into the Shadow Realm. But you'll need to have others on your side as well. There's no telling what may happen when you get there. Joey was pulled into the Shadow Realm by a force on that side, whereas you must get there from here. This means you need to tear a way into the Shadow Realm. Since none of us have Shadow Powers any longer, you'll need Dunames' help."

"There's also a chance that when we get to the Shadow Realm, the Duel Spirits from the other levels might slip in and out of their levels and into the one we're destined for," added Bakura. Then he smirked. "And there's also a chance that _some_ of us will get our Shadow Powers back."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. First, we need to summon Dunames Dark Witch and have her help us get there," stated Yami.

"But I think we should also decide who goes and who stays," replied Seto. "I want Serenity, Matt, and Mokuba to stay here."

"I'll look after them," offered Solomon.

"Me, too," said Tea. "Just go bring Joey back. He's going to need all the help he can get."

"And I'll stay and watch things on this end," added Pegasus. "We don't want anything to find its way here, so someone should stay behind who can call Duel Spirits to this realm."

"The Hikaris should stay here as well," said Bakura firmly.

"No! I am not staying behind!" Yugi argued. "And you can't stop me!"

"Neither am I! I'm going, too!" said Malik.

"Yes. You may need our help," continued Ryou.

* * *

"Why do we need to lock him up?" Taro asked impatiently, staring at Joey's still form on the cot from the slit in the locked door.

"Because it's all part of the plan. _Our _plan," replied Mika. "You're not backing out, are you?"

"No," Taro answered quickly. "I just don't see the point in…putting him through so much more pain than he needs to be in."

"Oh, does someone have a soft spot for the little blond?" chuckled Mika. "Well, I'll tell you what. When this is all over, you can have him all to yourself. How does that sound?"

Taro stared at his sister before agreeing to her terms. "Fine. When this is all over, he will be mine. No one else's. Mine." _I will be there to catch you when you fall, for the future holds more pain than you can possibly bear, my sweet, little Joey. But I will be there for you when it's all over. Just you wait._

* * *

Bakura was beside himself. He couldn't convince the others to stay here. Did they want to jeopardize their own futures for the sake of someone else? Didn't they see what they could be sacrificing?

"Are you ready?" Ryou asked him calmly, placing a gentle hand on his arm.

He swallowed hard and nodded. There was no turning back now. Everyone had made their decision.

Dunames Dark Witch looked at the people before her. "I shall open the doorway now," she said as she turned around.

She put her hands together as if praying and closed her eyes. Whispering a few words, she waved her hands around in the air as if drawing some invisible symbol.

And then she stopped, her palms facing away from her. As soon as she did so, the space in front of her seemed to crack as if it were made of glass, but it was just the open air.

"What the hell?" started Tristan. They all gasped as they watched pieces of their world shatter before them after what looked like a doorway appeared.

They could see purple fog through it.

"I can only keep this open for so long," said Dunames Dark Witch. "Get through as quickly as you can. I shall follow when the last of you passes through. The doorway will close behind me after that. Now go!"

They ran for the doorway, one pair at a time before they had all disappeared. Dunames Dark Witch followed soon thereafter, and the doorway closed itself with a loud pop.

Seto couldn't describe what he was feeling as he was sucked through the portal. It almost felt as if he was being pulled apart, atom by atom, but it didn't hurt.

And suddenly his body just stopped moving. As did the rest of them.

"Um…is this supposed to happen?" asked Duke. For some reason, all of them seemed to be suspended in midair with nothing but purple fog in all directions.

Bakura snorted. "Get ready."

"Get ready for wha—" Tristan's response was cut short when they suddenly shot upward.

"I think I'm gonna be sick!" Duke cried. He wanted to stop. They all did. But they just kept moving faster and faster.

"We're almost there," said Marik as loudly as he could so everyone could hear. "Look!"

And they did. Just above them, there seemed to be a bright light, almost as if they had reached the end of a very dark tunnel.

"Wait! Are we going through that?" exclaimed Seto.

"Yep," replied Bakura. "Hang on."

Soon, they shot through the bright light, looking very much like they'd been shot from a geyser.

And then they stopped again. Until they realized that gravity was back in the playing field once more.

Screaming, the gang braced themselves for the impact, only to slow in their velocity as they gently made it to the ground.

When they were safely on their feet, their eyes opened.

"Wow! This place is awesome!" proclaimed Yugi. And it was.

They were standing near the edge of a dense forest, surrounded by lush foliage and a domineering mountain range for as far as the eye could see.

"But how do we find Joey?" Seto asked anxiously. "It's not like he's wearing a homing beacon."

"That is correct, but the Duel Spirit bound to his soul will be able to track him," Dunames Dark Witch replied, approaching Seto.

"So, wait. We have to find his Duel Spirit first? Can't we just start looking for him?" inquired Duke.

"The Shadow Realm is a fairly large place and we have no idea where to start searching. Joey's Duel Spirit is the Red-Eyes Black Dragon and there is only one here. If my memory serves me correctly, he will be residing near Dragon's Cove, which lies at the base of a dormant volcano," she answered.

Seto grew uneasy. "And how long will it take to get there, Dunames?"

"Please. Call me Niaka. That is the name I go by here. And to answer your question, it should take no more than three days by foot."

Three days. That wasn't too bad. And once they found the Red-Eyes Black Dragon, finding Joey would be fairly easy.

"All right. Let's go. Which way, Niaka?" inquired Yami.

"Just follow me," she replied as she started heading west into the forest.

The others followed without question.

* * *

His head was pounding, his body was aching, and pain seemed to emanate from every part of his body.

Joey slowly opened his eyes and let them adjust to the faintly lit room. He was lying on a firm cot, which seemed to be the only piece of furniture other than a small table with a sparsely glowing candle resting on it. He already knew the door was locked, so there was no point in checking it. And his window was no more than a tiny sliver; it was no thicker than the candle.

Using what energy he had left, Joey raised himself into a sitting position, only to cry out in shock as pain shot up from his lower back and abdomen. Clutching his stomach, Joey winced and cried again as another wave of pain hit him.

So he just let go…and allowed the darkness to overtake him.

Joey didn't even notice the single pair of purple eyes leering at him through the slit in the door.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 29**

So many things had happened so quickly, and Seto found himself wondering how it had gotten to this point in the first place. It had only started out as performing a Shakespearian play over the summer coupled with his Duel Monsters Charity Festival; it was nothing more than a simple Duel Monsters Tournament. But then, as things progressed, he'd discovered that he and Joey had more in common than he'd originally thought.

They'd revealed their secrets to one another, had fallen in love with each other, and had decided to raise their younger siblings together; Mokuba, Serenity, and Matt were a big part of their lives now.

Everyone had been so happy.

But then something had to come along and screw that all up. Something had wanted Joey, had wanted him so badly that he'd been drawn into the Shadow Realm. And now Seto was here, too, along with most of Joey's friends.

It was hard to believe that they were actually in the Shadow Realm. Seto, Yugi, Yami, Tristan, Duke, Ryou, Bakura, Malik, and Marik had all come along just to save Joey from the clutches of whatever manic evil was out there.

Led by a Dunames Dark Witch named Niaka, they were following her blindly to Dragon's Cove, where they would find Joey's Duel Spirit, the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Niaka claimed that since this dragon was bound to Joey's soul, locating the blond would be a cinch because the Red-Eyes would be able to track his whereabouts.

Even with everything that had happened, with everything that Seto knew, he could _not_ for the life of him understand why it was Joey the Shadow Realm had taken captive. And it seemed that their elected guide was withholding important information. Seto'd be damned if he'd let that slide.

"Niaka?" Seto's stern voice made the Dunames Dark Witch turn to face him, as did everyone else.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Do you know what, or _who_, might want Joey? You seem quite familiar with this place. You know the terrain, where we need to go in order to find Joey's Duel Spirit, and I just can't help but think you know a little more than you're letting on."

The female Duel Spirit hesitated before she answered. Sighing wearily, her eyes danced around their surroundings. They were in Black Rose Forest, and all seemed clear for the time being, so she supposed she could let them rest and tell them a bit of a story.

Niaka sat down on a fallen log covered in withering green moss. She motioned for the others to sit around her. Most of them sat of the ground while Seto, Yami, Marik, and Bakura remained standing.

"Why the Shadow Realm has specifically chosen him, I do not know. His soul is not more important than anyone else's here, but his soul _is_ in grave danger. Do you know what happens to the souls that get sent to the Shadow Realm?" Niaka asked them.

Bakura crossed his arms. "If they don't get caught by the Reaper of the Cards?"

"The Reaper of the Cards only goes after the souls sent to the darker levels of the Shadow Realm. But if you're lucky and sent to one of the more auspicious ones—like here—something else happens. Would anyone care to guess what that is?"

When all she received were blank stares, she continued. "I'm going to tell you a bit of a story. You may not think you have the time to listen to it, or see the point in it, but I highly suggest you do. It might just reveal what you're dealing with here. Duel Spirits, or Duel Monsters, weren't always what they appeared to be. Before, long ago, they were once human, like all of you."

"That's impossible!" stated Yami. "The spirit monsters in Ancient Egypt were monsters that had their spirits sealed away in stone tablets. They were only summoned for dueling when the need arose. If any spirit monsters were found lurking about, they were sealed away. They were never human."

"Are you so sure of yourself?" inquired Niaka. "You say they are spirit monsters, but did you ever wonder where those _spirits _came from? They must have had a physical body at one time or another, correct?"

"Well…" Yami seemed to struggle for an answer. "I suppose so."

"My story predates that of Ancient Egypt. It is about the origins of the Shadow Realm and how Duel Spirits came to be. This knowledge will most likely be necessary for your survival if you wish to last here."

"Hn. I've already been here. And _I've_ survived," scoffed Bakura.

"But only in spirit," replied Niaka. "It is an entirely different experience if both your physical body _and _soul are in the Shadow Realm. Now, will you hear my story?"

Seto figured that this might take awhile, but if this information would be useful in discovering why someone wanted Joey, he was willing to listen—even if it meant saving his Puppy from unnecessary harm.

When the rest decided to be seated, Niaka took a deep breath and began her story.

* * *

_A long time ago, when the Earth was still quite young, there was a balance between the Light and the Dark. Each sector had their own people; the Luminarians resided in the Light, while the Atrumians dwelled in the Dark. They lived in peace for a time, their unspoken treaty being that as long as neither stepped foot into the other's territory, that peace would reign. But alas, that peace would not last._

_One day, a young Atrumian boy decided he would go to the edge of the Dark. He had never seen the Light before, and he grew curious. All he had ever seen was darkness. So he ventured toward the end of the Atrumian territory. The closer he got, the lighter the Dark became until he reached the edge of the darkness._

_Blinded by the sudden wall of Light before him, he squinted to his left and to his right. Finding that the Light travelled for as far as he could see both ways, he took a few steps back so that the Light would not be so bright._

_But in his eagerness to see into the Luminarian territory, he fell and cried out. His yell was met by another voice, a young Luminarian girl. 'Who's there?' she asked. The boy remained silent as he looked into the Light, his eyes gradually adjusting to its brightness. Although when he could finally see, the breath left his body as he took in the sight before him._

_There stood the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Her hair shimmered and her body seemed to glow. For the Atrumian boy, this was love at first sight. Getting to his feet, he approached the edge of the Dark, but dared not go past it. 'Hello?' he called out._

_The girl appeared stunned, but she narrowed her eyes at the Dark. 'So someone is there,' she said, 'but I cannot see you.'_

'_But I can see you,' the boy replied. 'What is your name, fair one?'_

_The girl blushed. 'I am called Slifer. And you?'_

'_They call me Obelisk.' And so began their tryst. They would meet each other where the Light met the Dark every day, and their bond grew stronger and stronger until they both knew they had fallen deeply in love._

_This went on for some time until the Luminarian girl, now a young woman, approached the edge of the Light and said, 'I want to see your face. I want to see the one who has captured my heart. The darkness keeps you from me, but I truly wish to see the man I love.'_

'_I would like that, but it is forbidden that our paths should even cross.'_

'_But why?'_

'_I do not know, my dear Slifer, but I do wish that I could be with you,' said Obelisk, tormented by the fact he could not touch his true love._

'_No one has to know,' whispered Slifer as she stepped closer to the edge. 'No one comes here, no one would know. Step into the Light and let me see you.'_

_Obelisk stared at her for a moment, thinking. He didn't believe anything would go wrong if he stepped into the Light, so he did as Slifer wished and crossed the line that had once divided them._

_Slifer smiled, her face glowing as she took in Obelisk's stunning appearance. 'You're beautiful,' she sighed._

'_As are you,' he replied. He tentatively reached out to her, touching her for the first time, not noticing the shadow that trailed behind him._

_Emotions quickly consumed them like fire, and before long, Slifer was with child. The Luminarian people grew troubled by this since they had never seen her with any man. And as the child within her womb grew, so did the curiosity of her people._

_As she neared the end of her pregnancy, she decided it would be best if she stayed where the Light met the Dark. Obelisk did the same. They would remain together until their child was born._

_What they were unaware of, however, was that Slifer had been followed. Discovering that Slifer and Obelisk had broken the unspoken treaty, the spectator ran off to reveal the bitter news._

'_Obelisk!' Slifer cried out in pain. 'The baby's coming!' Obelisk emerged from the Dark to be by Slifer's side._

_As he stood by her, Slifer finally gave birth to a healthy baby boy. He seemed to shimmer like gold in the Light, so they named him Ra._

_But soon, Slifer cried out in pain again. 'There's another baby!' she yelped in surprise, and she began to push._

_Obelisk wrapped Ra in a white cloth and set him down so he could deliver their second child. This baby was also a boy, and seemed to bring darkness to the Light, so they named him Exodia._

_Just as he was wrapping the second-born in another cloth, they heard angry shouts coming toward them._

_Obelisk, though consumed by fear, held Exodia to his chest protectively despite the fact he was frozen to his spot._

_Slifer sat up painfully and took Ra in her arms. 'Run, Obelisk! Run! Take Exodia with you and run!'_

'_But—'_

'_Please!' Slifer pleaded. 'I love you and our children, but you and Exodia cannot remain in the Light safely now. They will see the both of you shrouded in darkness and they will kill you! Please run!'_

_Obelisk stood with Exodia in his arms. 'I will come back for you. Both you and Ra. I promise!' he proclaimed and then he ran into the Dark, his shadow disappearing with him._

_However, the Luminarians knew what had taken place, so they took Slifer and her son Ra and locked them in a tower in the sky. But it did not end there._

_A battle soon raged between the Atrumians and Luminarians. Light entered the Dark, Dark entered the Light, and shadows ran through both worlds, feeding off the emotions of both sides until it grew stronger and stronger. Before long, the shadows had developed a mind of their own, quickly consuming the humans in their path, turning them into the true monsters they were inside._

_By this time, Ra and Exodia were full grown, and they each tried to console their single parents for the loss of the other._

_But when the pain of that loss suddenly grew to be too much, Slifer leaned out of the tower in the sky she'd been banished to and fell into the shadows. Instead of plummeting to her death, she transformed into Slifer the Sky Dragon. Flying back up to the tower, she perched herself atop it and seemed to wait for something._

_Obelisk had also been consumed by the shadows, and in his rage from being separated from his love for so long, he transformed into Obelisk the Tormentor. Racing to the edge of the Dark, he just stood there, waiting._

_Ra and Exodia, stunned that their parents would give into the shadows, ran to where the Light met the Dark, anxiously trying to outrun the shadows that chased them. They did not want to succumb to them like their parents had._

_The faster they ran, the quicker the shadows moved. Soon they had both respectively reached the edge, and before they crossed, Slifer and Obelisk let out a dreadful roar, halting them in their tracks. This gave the shadows the chance they needed to consume them._

_They reached Ra first, swirling about him, transforming him into Ra the Winged Dragon._

_Exodia, however, jumped toward the Light and reached for his brother, but the shadows grabbed him, pulling him back. And still he fought, even as the shadows consumed him. He changed into Exodia the Forbidden One._

_But he was still determined to reach the light. Lunging for it once more, the shadows made another effort to stop him. Chains shot out from the shadows, ensnaring the furious Exodia as they dragged him back into the shadows._

_Sensing that Exodia was in danger, Obelisk, Ra, and Slifer came to his rescue, but the shadows soon captured them as well. But with trying to contain such powerful creatures, the shadows became exhausted, and melted away into their own realm, taking all the monsters they had created from the humans with them._

_This realm, distant from the Earth, became known as the Shadow Realm._

_The humans left behind found themselves in a world merged with the Light and the Dark, but many of their loved ones were gone. Determined to find a way to access the Shadow Realm, the humans consulted the remaining elder and seer. It was then he spoke of a prophecy._

'_Whosoever should bear the mark of the ones once lost will find their souls bound to the spirit monsters inhabiting the shadows. Should those spirits choose to walk the Earth again, the one bound to them must traverse through the shadows and remain. The souls must switch; the spirit monster taking on the human form, the human form taking on the spirit monster.'_

_But before he could finish his prophecy, his heart suddenly gave out and he passed away. No explanation could be found for his abrupt death._

_The people were confused by this prophecy and the elder's untimely demise, so they decided to take matters into their own hands in order to conquer the shadows and release the ones taken from them._

* * *

Niaka paused, letting her story sink into the minds of the ones around her. "I'm afraid that is all that remains of the story," she said after some time.

"Fucking shit," Bakura seethed, glaring at Niaka. "You fucking bitch! You knew about this the whole fucking time and didn't even say a damn word before we came here!"

Everyone was quite taken aback by Bakura's sudden rage. Apparently they were missing something. Something big.

"I am terribly sorry," Niaka began, "but I needed all of you to come here to rescue Joey." Niaka averted her eyes for a moment before she looked back at the angry brunet. Seto noticed that her expression appeared extremely sad. "I wasn't always a Duel Spirit," she replied. "And I thought you would have figured it out by now." Her eyes suddenly flashed red, the same red Joey's eyes were.

And then it dawned on Seto. Why hadn't he realized it before? If anything, her name should have been a clue! All he had to do was mix the letters up! "Akina?" he exclaimed.

The Dunames Dark Witch gave Seto a pained smile. "I once went by that name, yes. But I am no longer Akina, but Niaka."

"You're Joey's mother," Seto said, releasing all his pent up air.

Tears formed in Niaka's eyes before she nodded. "I'm sorry I did not tell you this story before I brought you here, but I needed everyone's help to retrieve my son. You don't understand what's at stake here."

"I'll tell you what's at stake here," Bakura growled, approaching Niaka. "Do you know what you've done? You've endangered the lives of everyone!"

"What do you mean?" gasped Ryou.

"Our souls can switch with those of our Duel Spirits. Meaning they could return to our world in our bodies while we're stuck here in theirs."

"Let's not waste anymore time. I promise you, Niaka, we will do whatever we can to rescue your son. He is our friend, after all," Yami said, rising to his feet. He seemed to be the less freaked out amongst them. Did he not realize that the Duel Spirit they were talking to was Joey's mother? "Is there any faster way to Dragon's Cove? You said it would take three days by foot."

Niaka sighed and thought for a moment. She knew they wanted to move quickly, but staying safe while doing so presented them with a bit of a problem. "Right now we are in the Black Rose Forest. It's seemingly harmless, although we may run into a few unpleasant surprises along the way. But after the forest, we reach Uraby Valley."

"And what's in Uraby Valley?" Yugi asked timidly. He wasn't sure if he liked the sound of that.

Niaka turned and faced them. "That is where the dinosaur Duel Spirits live. It's a nasty place, and a bit dangerous, but as long as we don't go near their nesting grounds, we should be fine."

"Nesting grounds?" It was Ryou's turn to sound anxious.

"Please trust me," Niaka began seriously, "I would not intentionally harm you in any way. Although rescuing Joey is my highest priority, I will not put any of you at unnecessary risk. You have my word."

Seto stared at her for a full minute, trying to believe what she was saying. Normally it was hard for him to trust regular people, and she expected him to trust her? A Duel Spirit? But she was Joey's mother…or so she said.

"How do I know you're really his mother?" Seto asked suddenly. Finally, this minor revelation seemed to sink into the minds of everyone else.

"Wait! Are you saying Joey's a Duel Monster?" exclaimed Tristan, nearly knocking Duke's head off as he thrashed his arms up and down.

"No," answered Niaka. "And I'm not sure how I might be able to prove it to you. I do not know what Joey has told you."

Seto narrowed his eyes at her. "I know more than you. Of that, I'm certain." He seemed to contemplate what he was about to say next. Seto didn't want to let her know too much just in case this was some sort of scam. "Joey told me everything. About you, his life, how you died. He even said that his most favorite thing to do with you was sitting at—"

"—the piano," Niaka finished for him. "We'd just sit there, singing and playing for hours."

Seto nodded curtly, opening himself up to trusting her only somewhat. "That is correct. Now let's get to Dragon's Cove."

Niaka slightly bowed her head then beckoned them to follow her.

* * *

They started travelling deeper into Black Rose Forest, but why it was called that, the large group didn't know. It was just your typical forest, complete with massive trees and gnarled roots that tripped you just about every step of the way.

The only difference this forest had from other ones—other than the fact it was in the Shadow Realm—was that it was eerily quiet. There were no birds chirping, no stream trickling nearby, no squirrels scuttling through the trees. There was nothing but deafening silence.

_Snap!_

Everyone froze. Surely they hadn't made that sound. There was nothing on the ground they could have stepped on that would make them create that sound.

_Snap! Snap!_

Seto looked up to the tops of the trees. It sounded like it was coming from above them. Soon everyone followed his example and they stared at the treetops, light dancing merrily between the leaves.

_Snap! Snap! Snap!_

"Niaka? What the hell is that?" Seto hissed.

"Stay very still," she whispered to them in warning.

"Why? What—"

_CRASH!_

Everyone jumped at the noise. It sounded as if something had hit the trees and splintered them into thousands of pieces.

Niaka gasped. "Run!" she cried as she darted off in the opposite direction of the crashing noise. She didn't have to tell them twice; they bolted past her in no time at all. But the faster they ran, the louder the crashing became.

There was now a break in the trees, an opening.

"Quickly! Head through there!" shouted Niaka.

Bursting into the clearing, something seemed to erupt from behind them through the trees. When they turned to see what it was, they nearly stumbled over each other in shock.

It looked like a dragon! It was a deep, crimson red and seemed to have black thorns or something protruding from its body. And it looked like it was ready to attack!

Suddenly a roar sounded from behind them. A pink blur flew past the group, hurling itself at the reddish dragon. It gave out a cry and dove back into the safety of the forest.

"What the fuck was that thing?" exclaimed Malik, looking in the direction the dragon-thing had disappeared.

"That was Black Rose Dragon. A most dreadful foe, but not for me," came a new voice. The pink blur that had come to their rescue landed near Niaka. It was a pink dragon with startling green eyes.

"Thank you, Seiyaryu," said Niaka. "If you hadn't come along, I'm not sure what would have happened."

Turning to greet the others, Seiyaryu bowed to them, stretching out her wings and flapping them proudly. "I am Seiyaryu. I patrol the borders of Uraby Valley and make sure no one gets in…or out," she stated smugly.

Yami approached the dragon fearlessly. "I'm afraid we need to pass through Uraby Valley," he said.

"Oh?" Seiyaryu started haughtily. "And why is that, strange one?"

"Because we need to go to Dragon's Cove," answered Duke, moving toward the pink dragon.

Seiyaryu looked at him and gasped. "You share my eyes! You share my eyes! My soul-bound has finally come!" she cried happily, sniffing Duke with the utmost interest.

Duke stood frozen in a position that looked like he was getting ready to do some kind of kung-fu, so he wasn't apt to answer her question right away.

"Why are you keep calling me your soul-bound?"

Seiyaryu turned her gaze toward him again. "I am your Duel Spirit. Our souls are bound together. Touch me and you will see," she replied, leaning down so that Duke could touch her.

Duke reached out his hand hesitantly and stroked Seiyaryu's muzzle. Well, she hadn't bitten his arm off or anything, so he supposed it was all right.

That was until his arm started to feel like it was on fire! He snatched his hand back and pushed the sleeve away from his arm. And there, on his forearm, was a mark that looked like the shape of Seiyaryu's head.

"What the hell?" Duke cried, rubbing at his arm.

"I told you our souls are bound. Now, what is your name, little one? What brings you here?"

Duke was still trying to get over the shock of seeing some mysterious tattoo randomly appear on his arm, but he answered anyway. "I'm Duke. And we're here because our friend was taken into the Shadow Realm. We're trying to find him. Niaka said the best way to find him would be to find our friend's Duel Spirit first. He's a Red-Eyes Black Dragon. That's why we need to go to Dragon's Cove," he explained.

"Can you help us?" added Yugi, his eyes pleading the pink dragon.

Seiyaryu chuckled. "You have such adorable friends. I could just eat them up."

"Like hell you will," spat Bakura, unconsciously pushing Ryou behind him.

"It was a figure of speech, you white-haired buffoon. So Dragon's Cove, huh? I haven't been back home in years. But I suppose I can lead you there. I can fly ahead. Just follow me. I'll circle back and scare off any dinos who happen to think you'd make a good snack," she laughed.

Seto rolled his eyes at her humor. "Can we just get going already?" he snapped.

Seiyaryu whipped her head in Seto's direction, noticing him for the first time. "Hn. You're just as crabby as your Duel Spirit. Did you get up on the wrong side of the nest this morning?"

The brunet growled and clenched his fists. "Absolutely not. My…_mate_ has been taken!" he explained, hoping his choice of term would make her understand.

Seiyaryu looked both ashamed and sympathetic. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me for my rash behavior."

Seto grunted in acceptance of the apology.

"I'll get you to Dragon's Cove as quickly as I can," said Seiyaryu. "And Duke? If you ever need me, just rub the mark on your arm. It will let me know that I need to come to you." Duke nodded unsurely and the group watched as the dragon took flight. "Follow me!"

* * *

They reached the end of Uraby Valley in one piece thanks to the pink blob that called herself a dragon. Seto still didn't like her, no matter how much she'd helped them. All he wanted to do was find the Red-Eyes Black Dragon and then get Joey so that they could get back home.

At least reaching Dragon's Cove had taken less time than Niaka had originally thought. They'd only been traveling for a day and a half, and it was probably due to Seiyaryu's careful navigation.

"Well, we're here," stated Seiyaryu as she landed. "There are lots of dragons here, but the one you're looking for should stand out. Well, I'm off to mix and mingle. Bye!" And with that, she flew off.

"Great," Seto muttered under his breath. "How the hell are we supposed to find—" The brunet was cut off by being lifted into the air from behind, a white, snake-like thing curled around his abdomen. And why did his arm feel like it was on fire?

Wait. That could only mean one thing.

Seto swallowed hard and twisted his head so that he could see _what _was holding him. A massive white head with sharp teeth and startling blue eyes that matched his own stared at him.

"Blue-Eyes?" Seto began sharply. It was one thing seeing his favorite card as a hologram, but an entirely different thing having his favorite dragon of all time holding him helplessly in the air.

The white dragon seemed to glare at him. But that wasn't enough, apparently. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon thought that it would be best to release Seto and drop him unceremoniously onto the ground.

Hitting the hard earth, Seto painfully stood up and glared heatedly at his dragon. "What the hell was that for?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did that hurt? Perhaps I should drop you from the sky instead. It might kill you in one blow. There would be no pain then, I'm sure," the dragon replied coldly, his eyes boring into Seto's.

Yep. This was definitely Seto's dragon, all right.

The brunet pulled back his sleeve and looked at his arm, groaning when he noticed the mark of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's head stamped on his forearm. All the dragons in the world and he got stuck with the one with the stick up his ass.

"Is that any way to treat the one your soul is bound to?" Seto asked callously.

The dragon snarled at him. "Like I care," he replied, walking away from him.

"Don't turn away from me!" the brunet roared, losing his temper.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon looked back in him, the glare on his face rivaling Seto's. "And why shouldn't I?"

Swallowing his pride, he stared at his dragon. "Because I need your help. I'm looking for my…mate's Duel Spirit. A Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Do you know where he is?"

Painful emotions flashed through the dragon's eyes before he hardened his expression once more. "I know where he is."

Seto inhaled sharply. "Where?"

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon stared at Seto a full minute before answering, and his voice was raw with the distressing emotion he desperately tried to suppress. "Gone. He's dead," the white dragon replied, turning his back on Seto once more as he took off into the air.

The brunet felt himself drop to his knees against his will as he stared at the fading form of his dragon helplessly. "Dead?" he echoed, his voice being carried away by the wind.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 30**

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Taro roared as he burst into his sister Mika's room.

She looked up at him, momentarily startled before she chuckled snidely. "And what have I done?" Mika asked, tossing her long black hair over her shoulder, her purple eyes flashing.

"Remove your illusion from Joey this instant," he growled threateningly, approaching her in the same manner while his matching eyes blazed.

"Or else what?" she laughed maliciously.

Her laughing was cut short when a pair of hands belonging to her intolerant brother wrapped around her throat. Gasping for air, she clawed at his vicious grip.

"S-Stop…i-it!" Mika choked out.

"Remove your illusion," Taro repeated, emphasizing each word with deathly precision.

"F-Fine! I-I'll…d-do it!"

Releasing her at once, Mika did as he demanded. And when it looked like Taro had calmed down somewhat, she ventured to question his uncertain intentions.

"What's wrong with tormenting him a little?" she probed, still fuming that he had handled her in such a way.

"You forget, dear sister," Taro spat, "what my abilities are. I can hear people's thoughts. You _know _I have no control over this. I can _hear_ everything, _feel_ everything, and there is no way I can block that out. You put Joey through a lot of pain with that little stunt of yours."

"Oh, please," Mika snapped. "He deserves it anyway. Your little Joey is why we've been trapped in the Shadow Realm for so long. So _what_ if I used my powers of illusion to make him suffer. He _deserves_ it!"

Taro had the urge to slap her, but he refrained from doing so. More than anything, he needed to keep his temper in check.

"We _need _him, Mika!" Taro ran his hands through his short black hair stressfully. "We need him of sound body, mind, and spirit. _That _is the only way we will be able to leave here."

Mika crossed her arms indignantly and glared at him. She had to admit, what she'd done had been a bit rash, but she couldn't help feeling nothing but anger toward the blond. "Whatever. I won't touch your precious Joey again."

"You'd better not," Taro stated coldly. "I don't want you _anywhere _near him until this is over. Then I'll have Joey."

Mika smiled sweetly at him—which looked odd coming from her—but she only did this when she was truly pleased. "I like the sound of that. Anyway, I have some…things to tend to. So I'll leave you to it then. Who knows? Maybe you can even make Joey reciprocate your love," she taunted as she left the room.

Taro clenched his hands into fists, trying to quell his rage toward his sister. The only reason why he'd acted harshly toward the blond when he'd first arrived at the castle was so that he could keep up the façade he'd built in front of Mika. She didn't know what his_ real_ intentions were.

And none of what had happened was Joey's fault either. If anything, it was Mika's.

His _sister_ was the one who'd discovered they'd had abilities, and somehow, they'd been taken up by a strange group of people who wanted to perform all sorts of tests on them when they were no more than three years of age.

But then, after about a year, they discovered the full extent of their powers—and what that group of people had wanted them to do; they wanted them to summon a powerful god from the Shadow Realm.

Of course, he and Mika learned how to summon the monster-like deity, but they didn't want to let on that they were capable of doing so.

And it was _Mika_ who'd had plans of her own.

She said that she'd done some snooping around and discovered that they had to make some sort of sacrifice in order to summon the god. And she said that she'd found the perfect sacrifice. How she'd done this, he didn't know, and he didn't dare ask.

But now…he wished he had. It would have saved them from so much pain.

* * *

**_Flashback_**

"_Mommy? Mommy where are ya?" Taro heard the blond four-year-old named Joey call. The boy looked like he wasn't sure where he was. Taro had to admit, the boy looked scared. Who wouldn't with a lake consumed by dark black fog coming from it. The large trees even looked threatening._

_And it was so quiet._

"_Mommy's not coming," his sister, Mika, answered from behind Joey. Taro noticed the blond spin around, seeing them for the first time. He realized they were around the same age._

"_Who are ya? I've never seen ya before," Joey said._

_Mika started laughing and Taro forced himself to join her. He didn't think this was right._

"_Who are ya?" Joey repeated._

"_I'm Mika," answered his sister._

"_And I'm Taro," he said._

"_I'm Joey. Do ya know what's goin' on? Why's the fog black?" Joey asked innocently._

_Taro forced himself to laugh with his sister once more. He noticed that Joey was trembling; he was scared. And he couldn't help but feel his heart go out to the blond._

"_The fog's black because we made it black," declared Mika. "And we brought you here."_

"_Why?" Joey asked._

"_So that we can play a game," answered Taro reluctantly. "Do you want to play a game with us?"_

"_No. I want my Mommy." Taro could feel Joey's apprehension, his fear._

"_Play a game with us first and we'll take you back to her," said Mika._

_Joey seemed to think about this for a moment before giving in. "Okay. What are we gonna play?"_

_Mika grinned evilly while Taro frowned and turned his head to the side. Why did Joey have to agree?_

_Suddenly, thick vines erupted from the ground, wrapping themselves around Joey's wrists and ankles. He struggled against them, but they just grew tighter._

"_What's goin' on?" Joey cried._

"_We're playing a game," echoed Taro, trying to act emotionless, but Joey's thoughts invaded his mind._

"_It's called Human Sacrifice. You see, we summon a god and we sacrifice you to him. Then he'll do our bidding," continued Mika._

_Joey's eyes widened in fear. "Please let me go."_

"_I'm afraid it's too late for that now," said Taro, looking at him sympathetically. He wanted so desperately to save the blond, but he couldn't. Why did he feel such a strong attachment to him?_

"_You already agreed to play," finished Mika. "Shall we begin?"_

_Taro hesitated. "We shall." Why couldn't he stand up to his sister? Did she really have that much power over him?_

_Clasping each other's hands, they started chanting._

"_We call upon the one of flame, with water also at his bidding," started Taro._

"_Let him arise and take this boy, so that he can do our bidding," continued Mika._

"_Come forth god of fire and water! Fudo!" they cried in unison. A bright light shot up from the lake and a form developed in the sky. Slowly coming down, it landed where the three of them stood._

_Taro felt himself take a step back. They had summoned the god Fudo. It was one of the elemental gods. They were apparently dangerous and nearly impossible to control. You had to be really strong in order to control these beings._

_Taro didn't believe they could._

_He gulped along with Joey as they looked at the god Fudo. He was big. Half his body was enveloped in flames while the other side ran like water. Taro was having a hard time distinguishing what he was feeling from what Joey was._

_Joey struggled against the vines once more, but they wouldn't release him._

"_Here is you sacrifice, Fudo," announced Mika._

"_Take him…now," demanded Taro, trying to force out everything he felt coming from Joey. If Fudo took him, maybe it would all go away._

_Fudo growled and approached Joey. The god reached out for him. This was it._

"_Stop this at once!" a woman's voice ordered. Fudo turned as someone stepped out of the shadows._

"_Mommy!" cried Joey, tears in his eyes. His mother had come for him. Taro felt himself smile._

"_Release him," she said. The vines let go of Joey and receded into the ground. Free, he ran into his mother's arms. She hugged him tightly and kissed him on the forehead. Letting him go, she approached Fudo. "Go back to where you came from." But the god stood there and did nothing._

"_He won't listen to you," said Taro, trying to make this woman understand._

"_Fudo is under our control," continued Mika._

_Joey's mother noticed them for the first time. "You did this?" She looked stunned. "Send him back before it's too late."_

"_We can't do that. He needs a sacrifice," said Mika._

"_And that sacrifice…is your son," stated Taro, secretly hoping that this woman knew a way to stop it all._

_Joey's mother gasped and eyed the god. She lowered her head in what looked like defeat. "Joey?"_

"_Mommy?" Joey raised his head in response._

"_I love you, Joey. With all my heart. You are my most precious one," she said, pulling him into another tight hug and kissing him on both cheeks. Tears were streaming down her face. "Do you love me?"_

"_Mommy? Yes, Mommy. I love ya," he answered. None of them knew why she was crying._

_She smiled. "Then I'll always be with you…here," she said, placing her hand over his heart._

_She stepped away from him and ran toward Fudo. Grabbing the god, she chanted something none of them could hear._

_Taro watched in horror as he saw both Joey's mother and the god engulfed in flames._

"_Mommy!"_

"_I love you, Joey! And I'll always be with you!"_

_Pain! Complete and utter pain! Loss! Taro had never felt anything so strongly before._

_And it was all their fault. It was their fault Joey had lost his mother._

_He wanted to run to him, to apologize, but he couldn't move. Why couldn't he move?_

_He turned to look back at where Fudo once stood. There was a black hole in the ground. And it was drawing them in._

_It sucked Mika down first. She screamed and Taro covered his ears._

_And now he was being drawn in._

_So was Joey! No! Joey couldn't suffer their fate. It was their fault._

_With all his might, Taro sprinted toward Joey and pushed him as hard as he could. Joey stumbled backward, fell, and hit his head._

_But the darkness wouldn't get him._

_Taro smiled slightly at this one victory. At least he could save Joey this once._

_Then, he too, was swallowed by the darkness, just as his sister had been._

**_End Flashback_**

* * *

Taro took a deep, shaky breath and sighed, looking up at the stone ceiling as he let his thoughts wander. After that, he and his sister had remained in the Shadow Realm, their physical bodies and souls intact. The same could not be said for Joey's mother; she'd sacrificed her soul in order to save her son.

But the connection between him and Joey just grew stronger as time went on, even with him being in the Shadow Realm while the blond resided in the real world.

Why Taro had that connection, he didn't know, but he could hear Joey's thoughts as if the blond were speaking right next to him. He could feel everything Joey felt; the good…and the bad.

And there had been so much bad.

Taro even discovered that he could see what happened to Joey in his dreams, but this little revelation he'd been able to keep from his sister. Growing stronger against his sister had been his goal ever since they'd been sent to the Shadow Realm, and if he played his cards right, he could overtake her.

But he was not foolish. He knew his sister was powerful, but she didn't always think things through.

Taro knew he was different, so he would bide his time and act when the right moment came.

But all he could do now was take care of Joey. Even though the blond had been unaware of his presence, Taro knew everything about him, and had gradually fallen in love with him. But then…the blond had fallen in love with someone else; his Joey loved another.

Mika had decided to step in at that point, trying to make the blond commit suicide when he was rejected by the man he loved. Taro had only a second to seep through his sister's illusion of the grief surrounding Joey at the time, and it allowed that brunet man—Seto Kaiba—to prevent Joey from harming himself.

Then the love between the two of them had grown stronger, and Mika had still been bent on either destroying Joey and all he loved or making him suffer in life. But then she'd moved onto greater things that were probably beyond her control.

But now, Joey was his main priority and he needed to take care of him. And, if he could convince the blond of his love, then maybe…maybe Joey would learn to love him, too.

Taro knew this was wishful thinking, but it was all he had left. All he wanted was someone to love him. He knew his sister didn't, and they had no other family, especially here. Of course it would be him, of all people, to fall in love with someone across the realms, but Taro didn't care.

He'd win Joey even if it killed him. And besides, he'd need someone to comfort him when the baby was gone. Taro felt he could give Joey that comfort. However, there was the issue of Joey not remembering him at all. Had the blond somehow managed to block those memories out?

Making up his mind, he headed out of his sister's room and approached the one she'd locked Joey in. If he was going to win the blond's trust and love, he may as well give him some peace of mind first…and a new location.

Unlocking the door, he swiftly opened it. As he stepped into the small room, he noticed Joey curled up into a tight ball on the meager cot, tears staining his face. But he was fast asleep.

Approaching him slowly, Taro slipped his arms under Joey, lifted him bridal style, and carried him out of the room.

He travelled the halls of the castle like an expert guide, the blond still asleep in his arms. After several twists and turns, he finally reached their destination.

Maneuvering himself slightly, he lightly rapped on the wall. It began to rumble, sliding upward, and revealing a long passageway.

As the wall closed behind them, he made his way down the dark hall. His sister didn't even know about this place, and he intended to keep it that way.

"We're here, Joey," Taro whispered down to the sleeping blond as he pushed open a door that led to a lavish bedroom.

Stepping inside, he gently placed Joey on the bed.

"I'd kiss you, but I don't believe in stolen kisses. I believe I should earn them…and you'd probably agree with me on that," Taro stated softly, brushing a few of Joey's blond strands away from his tear-streaked face.

He then noticed a flash of silver on the blond's hand; his finger, to be exact. Glancing back at the blond's face, he reached down and pulled the silver ring off his finger. Inscribed inside was: 'My Puppy.'

Clenching the ring in his hand, he moved away from the bed and walked across the room. As he neared the corner, he opened a trunk that held numerous little trinkets and other junk, and dropped the ring inside. He shut and locked the trunk and went back to Joey, his rising jealousy momentarily calmed.

Lying down on the bed next to the blond, Taro wrapped his arms around Joey, hoping that he could offer some comfort to him while he slept.

He would explain everything when the one of his affections woke.

* * *

"Kaiba? Are you all right?" Yugi's worried voice drew Seto from his despair.

"I'm…no…" the brunet replied, unsure of how to answer. What were they going to do if Joey's Red-Eyes Black Dragon was dead? Wait! Did that mean Joey was dead?

Seto felt his stomach drop to the ground as he suppressed the urge to throw up. Where the hell was that Dunames Dark Witch? He needed answers and he needed them now!

"Oh, my! Who do we have here?" exclaimed a feminine voice from behind him.

Bolting to his feet, he spun around just in time to see two more Blue-Eyes White Dragons, but these two appeared to be female.

"I do believe it's the one Takei is bound to," answered the other dragon.

"Takei?" Seto echoed.

"Yes. The dragon that just took off. His name is Takei," said the first of the females. "I'm Saeko, by the way, and this is my sister, Rini. Takei is our brother."

"What did you do to set him off?" asked Rini, stepping closer to him.

Seto averted his gaze, making eye contact with the ground rather than them. "I asked where I could find the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. He's soul-bound to my…mate, but Takei said that he's dead."

The dragons' eyes widened momentarily before growing soft at the distressed look on the brunet's face.

"I'm afraid _that _Red-Eyes is dead," stated Saeko comfortingly, "and he's been dead for quite some time."

"So he wouldn't be the one bound to your mate," Rini added.

"But Niaka—"

"I am sorry," Niaka interrupted, approaching Seto with the others close behind her. "I was led to believe the male Red-Eyes Black Dragon was the last and therefore bound to my son."

"Then where's Joey's Red-Eyes?" asked Yugi.

"I'm afraid Takei's the only one who knows that," answered Saeko slowly. "He witnessed the death of Kano, the Red-Eyes you were looking for. They were very close friends and shared a brotherly bond with one another. I'm afraid Takei has never been the same since. He won't let anyone near him anymore."

"Can you tell us about this other Red-Eyes?" inquired Yami.

"Well, there can only ever be one Red-Eyes Black Dragon at a time. As soon as one passes, another appears and takes its place. But the only one who's met the other Red-Eyes is Takei. Apparently, he came across her after Kano's death. I also believe she is Takei's destined mate, although he has not taken her. For all we know, he's banished her somewhere," replied Rini.

"Fucking dragon!" Seto roared, glaring in the direction Takei had fled. Once he got his hands on him, he'd…he'd…

"Please calm down," Saeko insisted. "You mustn't do this to yourself. Come to our nest, relax, and then you can call Takei to you."

"Call?" Seto asked, looking confused.

"You bear the mark on your arm, correct?" posed Rini.

Seto nodded.

"Then all you have to do is rub the mark on your arm and he'll be forced to come to you. But I suggest you wait until he calms down some before you do so. He can't have been too thrilled to see the one his soul is bound to, especially when he was asked about his deceased friend so suddenly," continued Saeko.

"Now, follow us," said Rini, leading the way up the rugged terrain of the mountainside.

The group followed the two gallant dragons without question, each lost in their own thoughts as they made their way across the shaky landscape, stumbling over sliding rocks and gravel in the process.

Soon there was an opening to what looked like a vast cave. Although the mouth appeared like a set of jaws waiting to devour them, they stepped through the aperture promptly, eagerly seizing the chance to rest.

But as they entered the den of the Blue-Eyes White Dragons, they noticed that, while the outside looked quite uninviting, the inside was quite elaborate.

The gradual dripping of water combined with the mixture of numerous minerals left behind had created elongated forms along the entire cave. Stalactites hung like icicles from the upper limit of the cave, while stalagmites rose from the floor of the cavern. Enough light entered the cave to make its interior truly spectacular; it seemed to sparkle and glisten in vivacious color.

"This place is beautiful," Duke commented breathlessly as he sat down on the ground. Everyone seemed to follow his example, the dragons positioning themselves near the back center of the cave whilst everyone else sat around them.

"I've a feeling we will be in each other's presence for quite some time, so I do believe introductions are in order," announced Saeko.

Agreeing, the group introduced themselves and went even further as to explain why they were here in the first place. After telling their story, the dragons seemed to contemplate their situation.

"Seto, I would highly recommend that you call Takei. This is a grave matter," said Saeko.

"We will even travel with you, especially if it means helping you control our brother," added Rini. Saeko nodded her approval.

"All right. I'll call Takei now," replied Seto as he pulled his sleeve back once more. Taking his hand, he gently swiped it over the mark on his arm.

Nothing happened.

Seto looked up at the dragons, confused. "Isn't—" He was cut short by an icy sensation on his arm. As he dropped his gaze again to look at the mark, he noticed that it started glowing. "What the hell?"

"Takei will be here soon," said Rini. "Even if he doesn't want to come. Since you've called him, he has no choice but to."

Seto was about to comment on this when a thunderous roar reached his ears. Everyone nearly jumped out of their skin when they saw a ferocious looking Blue-Eyes White Dragon descending on them.

It was Takei.

Narrowing his eyes, Takei lashed out his tail and grabbed Seto around the waist. "How _dare_ you call me!"

_Whap!_

"That's enough, Takei!" snapped Saeko after she smacked Takei in the head with her tail. "They need our help, yours especially, so I suggest you _be_ civil."

Releasing his hold on Seto, Takei dropped his head in defeat at his sister's command. But he was _not _happy about it. "I'm not doing this because I want to. I hope you know that," he growled at Seto.

At that, Seto lost all remaining self-restraint he had left. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Takei was slightly startled by the brunet's harsh tone and sudden temperamental disposition. Glaring hard at Seto, he took a step closer to him. "Me? You come _here_, to _my _territory, and question me about my deceased friend? Kano was like a brother to me! And you just waltz in and expect me to be happy to see you? Where were you when Kano lay dying? Some soul-bound _you _turned out to be! Do you even now what true pain and suffering is like?"

"Of course I do!" Seto hissed, promptly shutting the male dragon up. "I know more about pain and suffering than you can possibly imagine." His voice grew shaky with every word.

Takei just snorted in disbelief. "And what would that be? You didn't get what you wanted after you stomped and yelled your little lungs out? Get sent to bed without dinner a time or two? What could _you _have possibly gone through?"

Seto clenched his fists and debated whether or not he should continue. But if it was the only way to get Takei on his side, if it was the only way to save Joey, he'd do it. No matter how much pain it caused him.

"My mother died giving birth to my little brother," Seto started, his eyes clouding, "leaving him and me alone with our father. By the time my brother Mokuba was three, our father got in a car accident and died. We were sent to live with family for a short time, until they used up all the money left to us, then they dumped us at an orphanage.

"I then beat a man by the name of Gozaburo Kaiba at chess. The condition was, if I won, he would adopt both me and my brother. But I didn't know at the time how cruel he could really be.

"As soon as we reached our new _home_, Gozaburo separated me from my brother. I was ten at the time. He locked me in a small room, decorated with only a desk and chair. I…was chained to it most of the time so that I could study. It was always so cold. There were no windows in that room and I had nothing but a small lamp. Gozaburo would come in about once a day to give me a slice of bread and some water for nourishment," Seto spat out disgustedly. He paused for a bit, making sure the words sank in before he continued.

"I stayed like that for about two years. When I was twelve, Gozaburo started beating me because he thought I wasn't learning fast enough. He'd rip my shirt off and hit me in the back with the buckle end of his belt." Seto's voice started sounding hoarse as he fought back the tears that threatened to fall.

"Joey…my mate…was treated the same way by his father. I _know _what true pain and suffering is. So does Joey. We're trying to have a new life together. I need to find him. I know you blame me for the death of Kano, Takei. So tell me, should I blame you for all I've gone through?" Seto's eyes met Takei's then, and it seemed like they looked deep within the dragon's soul.

"I'm…" started Takei, but he gave up trying to speak. Instead, he grabbed Seto around the waist with his tail again, this time gently, and embraced him. "Please…forgive me. I meant no harm. I was so upset by Kano's death that I refused to see what pain others might be going through. I am sorry for being so selfish. I will help you find your mate. I promise."

Setting Seto back on the ground, the brunet sniffed. The tiniest of smiles was on his face. "Thank you, Takei. You don't know how much this means to me. I couldn't bear going through life without him."

"Then we'd better find him," Takei said strongly, straightening himself up.

"But we can't unless we find the Red-Eyes Black Dragon," stated Saeko, trying to get her emotions under control. "Where is she?"

Takei suddenly looked ashamed. "I sent her away."

"Away where?" inquired Rini.

"At the top of the volcano near the edge of Dragon's Cove," replied Takei. "I told her I'd come back for her, but at the time I had no intention of doing so. I'm not sure if she's still there."

"Well, we won't know if we stay here," blurted Bakura. "We are going to find this dragon, find Blondie, and go home."

"By the way, what's her name?" Seto asked Takei.

"…Yoko."

"It's a beautiful name."

"It is."

"Seto? May I speak with you for a moment?" Niaka's quiet tone drew him away from Takei.

"Sure," he replied, removing himself from Takei's presence so that he could speak with Niaka privately. Seto guessed what she wanted to know, but he let her ask the question herself.

"Is it true? What you said about what happened to Joey, is it true?" Niaka sounded emotionless when she asked.

Seto shut his eyes. "Yes…it's true."

"Where is he? Where is his father?" Niaka demanded, rage overwhelming her usually calm demeanor.

"He's gone. You don't have to worry about him anymore," he explained.

"How could he do that to my baby? My poor little Joey."

"We'll find Joey, Niaka. I know we will. We've been doing so much better since we've been together."

Niaka turned her teary eyes toward Seto. "You really love him, don't you?"

"I do. And he really loves me. We're really good for each other."

"I know you are. I'm sorry the both of you had to go through so much pain," she sighed sadly.

"But it brought us to even greater happiness," he said, smiling slightly at Niaka.

"Hey! Are you two just going to stand there or are you going to come help us find Yoko?" inquired Rini, looking flustered. "We need to hurry if we're going to get there in time."

"What do you mean?" Duke asked, just as anxiously.

Rini gave them a helpless look. "The volcano is going to erupt in the next few days. We just got word from a passing Meteor Dragon."

"And if the volcano erupts before we arrive and Yoko has still been waiting there all this time, she might not have a chance," added Saeko.

"Then let's hurry," stated Seto, swiftly walking toward the mouth of the cave.

* * *

Taro woke with a start. When had he fallen asleep? A yawn drew him from his thoughts. Joey was waking up.

Releasing his hold on the blond, he sat up and waited for Joey to wake up fully before he said anything. He watched as the blond opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling. The elation Taro had been feeling earlier suddenly plummeted.

Joey slowly sat up on the bed, appearing both dazed and confused. When he finally noticed he wasn't alone, he eyed Taro guardedly.

"It's…nice to finally see you awake, Joey," said Taro, breaking the still silence.

He was met by Joey edging away from him. "Joey?" the blond asked, his confusion growing deeper.

Taro was taken aback. He wasn't expecting this sort of response.

"Do you know who you are? Or where you are?" Taro inquired fearfully.

Joey's eyes widened, fear flashing in them. "No. I don't know where I am. And I don't…" The blond looked frantic, but then he placed a hand to his head as if he were in pain.

Taro was scared beyond belief. Could Mika's pain-filled illusion have traumatized him so much that Joey forgot everything?

* * *

**End Chapter**


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 31**

Bakura was a combination of both furious and upset, but he didn't quite know how to handle his sudden emotions. What he did know was that he was angry about what he'd heard not too long ago from a certain brunet. How could Joey's father have beaten his own son? And the same had happened to Kaiba? Bakura couldn't help but sympathize with the both of them. Was he growing soft?

No! He wasn't! He was just realizing…how much he was like them. And that scared him. Witnessing Kaiba reveal his deepest, darkest secret—without caring if he lost face amongst them—was truly…inspiring.

And it made him start thinking. But Bakura hated thinking like this, especially about things that affected him emotionally.

"Are you all right, 'Kura? You've been awfully quiet." Ryou's voice invaded his thoughts. He _had_ been rather quiet the past few hours they'd been travelling.

Turning his eyes on his sweet lover, Bakura exhaled deeply and just stared at him, as if he were trying to find the right thing to say.

Ryou could feel Bakura's apprehension, his uneasiness, and it unnerved him. He just knew there was something Bakura wanted to say, but he wouldn't say it; he would never say it. Not to him, anyway.

"Bakura?" Ryou called again.

"It's nothing, Ryou," Bakura said quietly, avoiding his eyes. "It's absolutely nothing."

Ryou frowned, which looked odd coming from him. "There _is_ something. And this time I'm not letting you slither your way out of answering me." He paused. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of _course_ I trust you," confirmed Bakura. _But I just don't want to burden you with the troubles of my past_, he thought.

"Then tell me what's wrong," begged Ryou.

"Ryou? Bakura? Takei says that we're going to rest here for the night. We'll continue searching for Joey's Red-Eyes tomorrow," interrupted Yugi.

The white-haired boys looked at Yugi briefly and nodded, indicating that they had heard him. When Yugi left, Ryou turned toward Bakura.

"Let's sit down, away from the others, and talk," suggested Ryou.

"Talk about what?" Bakura grumbled. "There's nothing to talk about."

"We can start with why you've been so angry ever since Kaiba told us about his and Joey's past," Ryou stated after they sat down. "Why?"

Bakura's eyes widened at Ryou's keen observation. "How did you—"

"Even though your Shadow Powers are gone, there is still a strong connection between us. I know you far too well, Bakura. You cannot hide your feelings from me. I want to protect you as much as you protect me. Is that so much to ask? Tell me what's on your mind. Let me comfort you."

Grumbling, Bakura placed his hands behind his head and lay back on the ground, Ryou snuggling up next to him. He hated the sappy, emotional kind of talking, but if that was what Ryou wanted…

"I haven't told you much about my past, have I?" began Bakura.

"No, you haven't."

"What would you do if I told you that I understand the situation Kaiba and Joey went through all too well."

Ryou shot up and stared down at him with a shocked look on his face, but when he noticed the pained expression in Bakura's eyes, it faded to one of love. "Bakura…"

"The guards used me as their _whipping boy_ in Egypt when I was imprisoned," he said quickly, trying to swallow the pain that came with the unbidden memories. There had been so much pain. He was surprised he had survived that torture. "Something snapped inside me after a time, and when I made my escape, I vowed nothing but revenge. I think that's how the Shadows took me."

"Oh, Bakura," started Ryou, tears brimming in his eyes, "I'm so sorry."

Bakura raised a hand to wipe the tears from his lover's eyes. "Don't be. You have nothing to be sorry for. Don't tell the others."

"I won't," promised Ryou, lying back down next to Bakura. He wrapped his arms around him tightly, securely, deeply hoping that he was offering his love some comfort.

"Thank you," said Bakura. He ran his hand through Ryou's hair until he knew he had fallen asleep.

Somewhat comforted by the soft and gentle breathing from Ryou, Bakura finally let the tears fall from his eyes.

* * *

"_It's all a lie."_

_Bakura spun around at the sound of the soft voice. Standing before him was a very young girl._

"_What is?"_

"_Everything you've been told."_

_Bakura narrowed his eyes at the girl suspiciously. "Everything about what?"_

"_Well, maybe not a lie then. It's more like you haven't been told the whole truth," replied the girl._

_Why was she giving such vague answers? And who was she, anyway?_

"_Who the hell are you?" spat Bakura, his patience wearing thin._

_Giving a small smile, the girl replied, "I'm here to guide you on your way. I'll show you the true path."_

_Now Bakura was even more confused. "The true path to what?"_

_The girl's expression finally went from playful to serious. "What Niaka told you wasn't entirely true. I'm not saying that she's lied to you, but that she's been provided with false information."_

"_So what does that mean?"_

"_It means you have nothing to worry about."_

_Bakura frowned. He wanted with all his heart to mistrust this girl, but something kept urging him to listen to her. "How do I know I can trust you?"_

"_If you can trust your lover, you can trust me," she answered sweetly, winking at him. "Now, I need to show you something. I need to show you where you must go."_

"_Go?"_

_Suddenly the girl waved her hand and an image shimmered before him. He saw a large meadow, and in the distance, a large castle._

"_You must go here. This is where you'll find the one you're looking for."_

"_Joey?"_

_The girl nodded. "But you must be careful. Your enemies want him for very different reasons. One is there to help him, the other is there to destroy all of you…even us."_

_"Us?"_

_"The Shadows."_

_The Shadows were talking to him? _"_Why do they want Joey?" Bakura asked anxiously._

_A helpless look crossed the girl's face. "I don't know. But everyone in the Shadow Realm can feel that something is wrong and that there is something special about him. If you attune yourself to the Shadows, if you let the Shadows take you once more, you will see."_

_Let the Shadows take him once more? Would that mean he would get his Shadow Powers back? Perhaps, but would that mean he'd lose himself to the Shadows again?_

_The girl seemed to notice his hesitation. "The Shadows won't consume you. There are many people on your side now who will be willing to help you. You have friends and a lover. You won't lose yourself to the Shadows. You're too strong for that."_

"_If I let the Shadows take me, I'll have my Shadow Powers back?" questioned Bakura._

"_Yes, but they'll be a little bit different than before."_

"_How so?"_

"_If you embrace the Shadows, you'll see. Will you?"_

_Bakura stared into her eyes, and after a moment's thought, he nodded._

_The girl smiled. "Thank you," she said happily. "Protect us. All of us. And I'll always be here when you need me."_

_She began to fade, and the spot where the girl once stood was now replaced by something very familiar. Bakura braced himself for the impact as the Shadows quickly consumed him._

* * *

"Bakura?" Ryou screamed, scrambling away from his lover. "Bakura?"

Everyone promptly woke to Ryou's frantic cries, but the sight before them was not what they had expected.

Bakura lay on his back, his body arching and twisting in what seemed like pain as dark shadows darted in and out of his body. It looked like they were attacking him.

"What's going on?" Yugi asked hurriedly.

Yami's brows furrowed as he glared at Bakura. "I _knew _he could never be trusted."

"What on earth are you talking about? Can't you see he's in pain?" exclaimed Ryou. He looked between his friends and Bakura, afraid to go near either.

"Bakura is letting the Shadows take him," Marik continued, glaring at Bakura also. "That little whelp. He wanted his Shadow Powers back after all."

"You mean—" started Tristan, but Yami cut him off.

"Bakura's the one we're really after," finished Yami, eyes smoldering with hatred.

"No," Ryou declared, staring at his friends disbelievingly. "He's not like that anymore. He isn't," he said before racing over to Bakura.

"Ryou!" shouted Yami, but it was too late. Ryou had reached Bakura.

However, Ryou halted in his tracks when the Shadows suddenly disappeared. And Bakura seemed deathly pale. Ryou could feel tears sting his eyes. "Bakura?"

"Aah!" Bakura screamed, shooting up into a sitting position. Tears streamed down his face as he sobbed uncontrollably. He looked like he was in pain again.

"Are you all right, 'Kura? Please talk to me," pleaded Ryou, getting on his knees in front him.

"It hurts," Bakura stated softly, confusion etched on his face. "Why does it hurt?"

"What hurts?" inquired Yugi while keeping a watchful eye on Yami just in case he did something rash.

"The Shadows hurt. It's in pain. The Shadow Realm is in pain," Bakura mumbled over and over again.

Everyone started growing scared. Just what was he babbling about?

Something seemed to dawn in Takei's eyes and the regal dragon slowly approached the former thief. "Get up, Bakura. You need to take control. Push away the emotions running through you," said Takei.

"But it hurts so much," replied Bakura in a lost voice.

"Then look to the ones who care for you. They will guide you back."

Guide? That sounded familiar. The dream. _The dream! _The girl in the dream. But who was the girl? The Shadow's, right? She said she'd always be there if he needed her.

Bakura's eyes suddenly cleared. "Where are you?"

"_Here_."

"Where?"

"_Within you. Around you. Everywhere._"

"The Shadow Powers I received…they're you?"

"_It took you long enough. I thought you were stronger than that."_ The girl's voice flooded Bakura's mind again.

"The Shadows," said Bakura.

"_And I thought Marik was slow."_

"Bakura, what are you talking to?" Ryou asked, confused.

"She's…" Bakura started, but his voice failed him. He wasn't even sure if what he was hearing was real. "She's talking to me. I can hear her."

"_Yes. But you can't expect everyone else to. This only works in the Shadow Realm, you know. I am here merely to assist you."_

"He's finally lost it," mumbled Marik, staring at Bakura dumbfounded. Everyone else seemed to be in agreement, except Takei.

"He has not lost his mind," the male Blue-Eyes quipped. "The Shadows _are_ speaking with him, but this only happens when situations turn quite dire. And that is why you have accepted your Shadow Powers back, is it not?"

Bakura looked at the dragon and nodded. "I can feel the Shadows coursing through my veins. I can feel its pain. There is something terribly wrong here, and now that I have my Shadow Powers back, I'm connected to it somehow. She showed me the way."

"So you're not trying to take over the world again?" asked Tristan, who was looking quite anxious.

Narrowing his eyes at the others, he said, "I would never do something like that ever again. I have people I care about now. And speaking of which, she told me everything she knew. And I know where to find Joey."

Seto raised his head and strode over to the former thief quickly, his eyes full of hope. "Where?"

* * *

"You called for me, Mistress?"

Mika stood on one of the many balconies of the castle she called home and looked out over the vast landscape. She turned slowly, her violet eyes narrowing on the one who dared disturb her temporary moment of tranquility. Her eyes soon lit up, however, when she noticed that it was none other than Juza, the Patrician of Darkness.

"Juza! How nice of you to come!" she declared sweetly.

Bowing his head in submission, he asked, "What is it that you want of me, Mistress?"

Mischief danced in Mika's eyes as she clasped her hands together like a child who had been waiting anxiously to open a present.

"I have a little problem that needs to be taken care of. You see, Joey's little friends have made their way into our wonderful home. They're nothing but trouble, Juza. If they come here, they'll ruin all of my beautiful plans."

"I see. And you want them…taken care of?" A grin formed on Juza's face as he realized where this was going.

"Something along those lines, my dear Juza." Mika began laughing hysterically. "Dispose of them! Permanently!"

* * *

Juza trekked down to the deepest, darkest part of the castle, which just so happened to be the dungeon. Disposing of some measly humans, indeed! Was he worth no more than exterminating a few pests?

"Gernia!" Juza snapped in the darkness.

A clamoring sound echoed in the dungeon. "Yes, my lord?"

"I want you to bring me Plague Wolf this instant."

"Of course, my lord."

When Gernia scurried away, Juza closed his eyes, blocking out the world around him. The only way to dispose of this Joey's friends was to find out where they were. That wouldn't be too hard. All he needed to do was focus on the human auras; their auras would be completely different from that of the creatures which normally lurked in the Shadow Realm.

After a few minutes, Juza opened his eyes, a smirk gracing his features. They had headed for Dragon's Cove, had they? Well, this would be even better than he'd expected. Oh, what fun he'd have. The dragons' territory stretched for miles in every direction.

"Here is Plague Wolf, my lord," Gernia announced, bringing Juza from his thoughts.

"Hmm," started Juza, eyeing the wolf up and down. "You'll do wonderfully."

Approaching the timid wolf, Juza's hand suddenly lashed out, gripping the trembling beast's neck relentlessly. He whimpered and desperately tried to free himself from the vampire's grasp.

"I have a mission for you, pet," Juza spat in disgust. "You will need to go to Dragon's Cove. My Mistress has wished it. A problem has arisen that needs to be dealt with."

The Plague Wolf nodded as best as he could, considering his predicament.

"Good," replied Juza with a malevolent smile. "Now, I suppose you'll want the specifics of your mission, correct?"

Nodding again, the Plague Wolf braced himself as the vampire sank his sharp canines into his neck. Whimpering once more, he fell limp in Juza's grasp as the information—the details of the wolf's mission—began flowing through his veins.

This way of transferring information was always best. No one would know because the mission would be integrated in his blood. There would be nothing to tell. Plague Wolf would be running on instincts, not orders. It made for a dangerous plan indeed.

* * *

Mokuba wandered the empty, quiet halls of Kaiba Mansion. It had been nearly a week since he'd seen his brother, or any of his friends for that matter.

Solomon had taken to looking after them, while Pegasus roamed the mansion like a wandering ghost.

And now that Mokuba thought about it, where wasMatt? He hadn't seen him all morning. In fact, he hadn't really seen much of him the past few days. What was he up to?

Marching up the stairs and toward the bedroom he shared with Matt, Mokuba knocked quickly before opening the door. As he did so, a flash of something made its way under Matt's bed as he righted himself and looked in Mokuba's general direction.

"What're you doing up here?" asked Mokuba. "It's like you've been hiding the past few days. Is something wrong?"

Matt glanced at his hands for a moment before he made eye contact with Mokuba. "I've just been reading," he answered meekly.

"Reading what?" This, at least, was intriguing. And quite different than what Mokuba thought Matt usually did.

The small blond sighed and flopped back against the bed, his arms splayed above his head. "You promise not to tell anyone?"

Oh, yes. Definitely intriguing. "Okay. I promise," Mokuba agreed sincerely; he just hoped he didn't sound too eager.

"After Mom died and we had to pack our stuff, I kinda snooped around her room. I wanted something to remind me of her, you know?" When Mokuba nodded in understanding, Matt continued. "I found something. She kept a diary. I took it without realizing what it really was, or what was in it. I just thought that something so personal of hers should be…preserved. But after reading some of it, I wish I hadn't."

"Why? What did she write?"

Matt's response was throwing the diary in his direction. "Read page eighty-four. You'll see."

Mokuba timidly took the diary in his hands. It was made of leather, and felt very smooth but worn at the same time, like it had been used for years. As he flipped through the pages, he could see the varying colors of ink, the wear and tear of the pages, and—

Page eighty-four. It was dated several years ago, five, to be exact. The entry read:

_Dear Diary,_

_I don't know why I still find myself hating that boy so much. It's been years since I last saw the little whelp. God, how I hate that boy. I detest that Joseph Wheeler with a passion so strongly that…well, it doesn't matter anymore, does it? He's gone. I left him with that wretched excuse of a man._

_Oh, how I wish my poor Matt didn't remind me of him. His hair reminds me so much of Joseph's. Besides, I never wanted Matt anyway. And it's all Joseph's fault! If he hadn't made his father mad, he wouldn't have taken his aggression out on me. Why couldn't Joseph just slap Serenity to shut her up, anyway? It would have saved me a great deal of turmoil. I wasn't raped. Heavens no. His father just decided he wanted a rush job, but that's all it took for me to get knocked up with another useless parasite._

_My poor Matt. It's too bad he'll also end up like his father; useless, abusive, and probably a drunkard, too. If only he didn't have Joseph's hair, then I might be able to find him tolerable._

_And that useless Joseph. After my poor Matt was born, he took him away from me. He was probably trying to get Matt to be like him, so he would like him rather than me. Well, I put a stop to that foolishness long ago. Hah! When I took my poor Matt and Serenity away, I wrote to Joseph that Matt had died! I even had an obituary created and sent to him! Oh, how I wish I could have been there to see the look on that boy's face when he believed it was his fault that Matt had died. It must have been priceless._

_Oh, well. What's done is done, I suppose. But I still want Joseph to suffer. I want to make him suffer as much as I have suffered. Maybe even more. All I've ever wanted was to be married to a decent husband. I thought I was going to have that, but after I wed, my so-called husband dropped the bombshell on me that he already had a son. And to top that off, I discovered I was pregnant!_

_I NEVER WANTED CHILDREN! I HATE CHILDREN!_

_I've often wondered what it would be like to kill my children. To smother precious Serenity in her sleep, to drown my poor Matt while he's taking a bath, to—_

Mokuba slammed the diary shut. He couldn't read anymore. Their mother was psychotic. There was no other explanation for it.

Furiously rubbing the tears away that threatened to fall, Mokuba walked over to Matt and sat down on the bed next to him.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, rubbing Matt's arm comfortingly.

That's all it took to make Matt cry. He sat back up on the bed, and he and Mokuba hugged each other and wouldn't let go as they both cried for the loving parents they had been so mercilessly denied.

* * *

Taro couldn't believe Joey had actually lost his memory! Would he get it back? How long—

Wait. Maybe he could use this to his advantage. What if he somehow manipulated Joey into believing something else? Something more of his own liking? The thought sounded quite pleasing, but should he do it?

Taro damned his conscience to hell when he felt himself chickening out against his will. But perhaps there was another way he could use Joey's loss of memory for his benefit. It would be the perfect opportunity to make the blond fall in love with him.

"Wait…Joey. That's…my name," the blond started timidly, visions swimming in his head. But he still looked like a frightened animal.

Well, so much for the amnesia plan. This was going to be harder than Taro thought. "Yes. That's your name. Can you remember anything else?" Perhaps trying to befriend him was a better option.

Joey paused, staring at the wall, his eyes still glazed over. Memories began striking him like lightning until he felt he couldn't handle it anymore.

And then his vision cleared.

"No," he gasped. "Stay away from me!"

"It's all right," Taro started immediately, grabbing the blond's wrists and forcing Joey to look at him. "You're fine. I'm not going to hurt you. I won't let anyone hurt you."

"But I—"

"It was an illusion," continued Taro. "My…_sister_ decided to place a cruel illusion on you. That's why you felt so much pain. But it wasn't real. I'm sorry."

Joey stared at him for a minute, letting the trembling of his body subside upon hearing this news. "You're…Taro." His statement was confirmed with a nod. "That means…your sister is Mika."

"Yes."

"Ya killed my mother," Joey stated, memories locked away from long ago resurfacing in an instant.

"That's not true," Taro insisted, "as far as I know. She might not be dead."

"What do ya mean?"

"She might have been trapped in the Shadow Realm…like we were."

"Wait…what am I doin' here? And _where_ are we?"

Taro gave Joey a very grave and somber expression. He reached out and cupped the blond's face. "You're in the Shadow Realm. But don't worry. This will all be over soon."

Jumping away from him, Joey got off the bed. "What the hell do ya mean?"

Approaching the blond, Taro yanked Joey toward him and cupped his face again. "I've longed for this moment," he said, his raging emotions consuming him. He was losing control. "I've waited so long to hold you in my arms, Joey. I've loved you from afar for so long. And now I have you."

Joey gaped at him. What the fuck _was_ this shit? He got dragged into the Shadow Realm because some sick pervert had fallen in love with him?

"Get off me!" he shouted, shoving Taro away. "I don't want anythin' to do with ya. Want to know why? Because _you_ and your fuckin' sister took my mother from me! And I have family and friends waitin' for me at home."

"I'm well aware of that, but it still doesn't change anything. I love you," said Taro sternly, an obsessive glint in his eyes. "You're going to be mine for all eternity. _That_ you cannot change."

"What the hell is wrong with ya? Ya think by keepin' me here, I'll fall in love with ya or somethin'?"

"You don't have a choice," he replied.

"I just wanna go home. If ya really think ya love me, you'll let me go home."

"I'm afraid the time for that has passed. And right now, you need me more than anyone. I'm the only one who can protect you…and your potential."

"Potential?"

Taro approached him swiftly, pulling the blond toward him. "We're going to use you to create new life."

Joey blinked a few times in response. "What?"

"A baby, Joey. You're going to help us create a baby."

"Like hell I will! I ain't goin' anywhere near that Mika chick!"

"Who said anything about you and Mika?" Taro continued. "It's going to be yours and mine."

"But I'm a guy!" Joey screeched. "And you're a guy!"

"That doesn't matter in the Shadow Realm," said Taro. "You see, we need this baby to create a doorway between this world and yours that will never close. In order to do so, a new soul must be created. That doesn't happen in the Shadow Realm. Let's just say souls get recycled. In other words, if a soul 'dies,' it transforms into something else. Like reincarnation.

"However, there are occasions when the Shadow Realm opens up and consumes souls from your world. This happens when an imbalance takes place."

"An…imbalance?"

"Meaning the Shadows have completely consumed a soul. The reincarnation effect cannot take place then. Souls are only taken from your world when a soul here has been consumed."

"So _why_ do ya need me?" Joey wasn't sure he understood anything.

Taro sighed. Why did the blond have to be so dense? "To create new life, a new soul. It will open a doorway, thus fusing our worlds together."

"But why?"

"This world has become unstable. It won't last for too much longer. If it disappears before we can create this life, all of us who've lived here will die."

"Can't ya just…open a temporary doorway and leave the Shadow Realm then?"

"I'm afraid not. To travel to and from the Shadow Realm, a doorway must be opened from your side. We can open one from this side, but only to bring other souls in; we can't leave."

Joey wasn't sure whether to believe Taro or not. He seemed sincere in his explanation of creating this doorway by bringing about a new life and whatnot. But—out of all people—why did _he _have to be part of that plan?

"I don't understand why ya need me. This whole baby thing is way out there. We're two guys. Maybe bein' stuck here for so long got ya to miss out on sex ed. But ya need a guy and a girl to make a friggin' baby!"

"As I said before, it doesn't matter in the Shadow realm. Us having a baby together will be no problem."

Joey's eyes widened. "What?"

"We specifically needed _you_ in order for this plan to come into fruition. You already have a unique bond with the Shadow Realm," said Taro, pulling the blond toward him again when he tried to pull away. "You were _supposed_ to be a sacrifice to the god Fudo from the Shadow Realm. You _should_ have gone to the Shadow Realm when your mother sacrificed herself to save you. It took all of us, but not you. The Shadows _should_ have returned for you. But they didn't.

"I wondered why. It plagued me for years. I waited for the moment the Shadows would claim you, but they never did. And finally, it occurred to me. The Shadows never took you because you are already part of the Shadows. There's only one explanation for that."

"I don't—"

"You were _born_ here. Your mother gave birth to you _here_."

Joey opened his mouth then closed it. "I think you've been sniffin' the shadows for too long. If that was the case, wouldn't there be a doorway open?"

"Not if you weren't conceived here," Taro stated simply. "Believe me. I've done my research. This place _became_ its own world after what happened long. The customs, teaching, rituals, and prophecies of that time arrived in the Shadow Realm along with all the monsters it created. It took _years_ to finally figure out what we needed to do to leave this place once and for all. And you are the key to everything!"

Joey took a step back when he realized the crazed look on Taro's face. "I don't care what ya say. I ain't helpin' ya."

Taro marched up to the blond and yanked him close. "You can either do it willingly…or by force."

"I'll never let ya—"

"Mika has the power of illusion," Taro interceded. "She could wipe every memory from your find and create false ones. She could put you under the illusion that you love me, that you'd be willing to do anything I say. You'll forget your friends, your family, everything you've ever known. Do you want that?"

Joey felt his blood run cold.

"Either way, you're having this child. It will grow inside you. The Shadows will see to that," he continued. "This _will_ happen. But I'd rather you'd be as you are now rather than some mindless zombie."

Joey's hands immediately covered his flat stomach. His heart began to race. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't.

"We're having this baby," Taro continued. "Mika plans to do everything in her power to make you as miserable as possible during this. But if you give yourself to me, I can assure you that no harm will come to you…and future our baby."

The blond backed up into the wall as Taro approached him again, this time with the violet-eyed man placing a hand on his stomach.

"This baby will be ours. I'll protect all of us. That's how much I love you," he commented softly, running his thumb over the blond's abdomen before looking back into his eyes.

Joey held his breath. This was too much, too fast. He couldn't process it all. "No."

Taro took a step back and stared at him. "You _will _change your mind. It's the only way for me to protect you."

If what Taro said was true then Joey was in some deep shit. He was alone in the Shadow Realm. His friends and family weren't here to save him. And the only form of protection he _did _have was what Taro was offering.

But then again, that was if he was telling the truth. And he wasn't sure if he could trust _anything_ at this present time. It was just too much to take in for the time being. "I think…I need to get some more rest…so I can think. Can ya leave me alone for a while?"

Taro moved away from him, nodded his head in agreement, and left the room.

Seeing that he'd left, Joey went over to the bed and lay back down, staring up at the ceiling. What Taro said couldn't be true, could it? He gently took his right hand and stroked his stomach. Making himself as comfortable as he could, he repeatedly called out the name 'Seto' in his head until he fell into a troubled sleep.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 32**

Plague Wolf wandered through the dungeon aimlessly. He was partially on autopilot now. His instincts were telling him where to go, and they were saying that he had to go _deeper _into the dungeon.

Juza, the Patrician of Darkness and servant of Mistress Mika, had revealed to him through the vampire's bite that the dungeon was filled with portals. They could take you wherever you pleased in the Shadow Realm. If he found the right one—which he would—he could make it to Dragon Cove, where Juza had sensed the filthy humans were.

Pausing briefly, Plague Wolf sniffed the air before starting off into the darkness again.

"Here," he growled, sniffing once more. "Yes. Here."

He placed one paw on the wall, or rather, the wall that _should _have been there. Instead, it was an illusion. It looked like a wall, but was, in fact, the portal he needed to take.

Taking a few steps back, Plague Wolf raced toward the wall that wasn't really there. It sucked him in with a loud pop, and a few moments later, the portal spat him back out.

And into a large rock.

Rubbing his head, Plague Wolf opened his eyes and looked around. A volcano? Since when did Dragon Cove have a volcano?

But when he saw several dragons wandering the perimeter, he figured he was in the right place. So all he had to do now was find the humans and dispose of them. And what a better way to be rid of humans looking for dragons than by dragons killing them off.

Plague Wolf snickered as he crawled through the rugged terrain, searching for the right victims to initiate his plan. And if all went well, his Master, Juza, would be quite pleased with him.

* * *

"Where _is _he, Bakura?" Seto demanded.

Bakura sighed. "Joey's in a castle…somewhere…and there's a meadow, too. But I don't know where it is exactly."

Seto resisted the urge to strangle the former thief. If that information wasn't vague, he didn't know what was. "That's all you know?" the brunet deadpanned.

"That's all I know."

"How the hell are we supposed to find a fucking castle?" Seto snapped.

"You could try asking! Teeheehee!"

Well, that voice was different.

"Please tell me the rest of you heard that?" Bakura asked tiredly. He already had the Shadows speaking to him telepathically! He didn't think he could bear hearing yet _another_ voice!

"Yeah, we heard it," commented Tristan, peering at their surroundings. Just where had that voice come from?

"Um…Tristan? What's that on your back?" asked Duke.

Now it was Tristan's turn to freeze, especially when he started feeling something moving from his back to his shoulder. When he turned to look, he came face to face with two very large eyes.

"AAH! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" screamed Tristan as he started flailing around like a maniac.

"Of all the—" Rini had just about had it with these humans. They were never going to get _anywhere _if they freaked out every time someone new came along. "Hold still!" she snapped.

When Tristan made no indication of stopping, she caught Tristan around the middle with her tail and held him suspended in the air.

"Teeheehee! That was fun! Do it again! Do it again!" the voice said.

"Gokipon! You know better than to scare others like that!" scolded Saeko, who'd come to see what the commotion was about.

"Hey! Can ya put me down?" Tristan started flailing again.

Rini just dropped him, but not before Gokipon landed safely by Tristan's side.

"I'm your soul-bound!" Gokipon declared loudly to Tristan, who just gawked at the insect thing.

It was an insect, all right. Complete with six arms—or legs—two big eyes, antennas, a beetle-like body and…a cape? He was like a bug super hero or something.

"No," Tristan started. "You can't be my soul-bound. You're too…too…"

"Cute?" offered Duke as he tried to stifle his laughter.

Tristan glared at him.

"Aw, don't be mad," said Gokipon. "I'm tougher than I look."

The next thing they knew, Gokipon started…well…flexing. He was definitely Tristan's soul-bound.

"Can we get back to finding Joey?" barked Seto. He was losing his patience. The brunet desperately wanted to find the blond, but he couldn't do that if the others were fooling around.

"Oh!" started Gokipon. "I know what castle you're looking for. It's Orichalcum Castle. It's a bit past the volcano. You're heading in that direction already, aren't you?"

Takei's eyes widened. "Orichalcum Castle? The boy's being kept there?"

"Why? What's Orichalcum Castle?" asked Yugi.

The male dragon started to look uneasy. "We do not speak of it, let alone travel there. It is far too dangerous."

"Takei, I have to go there. Joey's there. I can't do this alone. I need you," Seto pleaded.

"We'll go," the dragon sighed, "but we'll have to make a short stop along the way. After we find Yoko, of course."

"Let's hope she's there," muttered Seto. It was the only chance they had. "But why do we need to stop along the way?"

"Orichalcum Castle is known for its strong defense, and hopefully all of you will find your soul-bounds by then. You're going to need our help when you have to duel your way through," explained Takei.

"Duel? We have to duel here?" asked Yami. "How? We have no decks or cards."

"I'll explain that at a later time, but now we need to move. I fear the volcano won't remain dormant for long. We _must_ hurry."

"Then let's go," replied Seto.

* * *

Yoko sighed as she wandered aimlessly around the volcano. It had been so long since she'd last seen Takei. What if something had happened to him? Should she leave and search for him? But then…what if she left and Takei returned and she wasn't here? She promised him that she wouldn't leave, at least not until he came back.

Suddenly, a growl caught her attention. Whipping her head around, she noticed that she'd stumbled upon a group of Crawling Dragons. But what was wrong with them? They looked like they were sick or something.

Instead of being their usual dull orange and green, they were turning purple and they looked as if they were…decaying?

"How do you like my Dragon Zombies?"

Yoko spun around, coming head to head with Plague Wolf. She started backing away from him slowly.

"You did this? To the Crawling Dragons? All of them?" inquired Yoko in surprise. "Why?"

Plague Wolf cackled in delight. He was having far too much fun. "All it takes is one bite. One nasty little bite and then they'll even turn on their own kind. I've infected them, you see."

"Why on earth would you do such a thing?" gasped the Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

"Because my Master needed me to," answered Plague Wolf as he gradually started stalking the dragon. "And you'll do perfectly for my next victim."

Yoko didn't even have a chance to react. Plague Wolf had leapt without warning and sank his very teeth into her skin. It was too late for her to do anything. The poison had been released.

And there was no stopping it.

* * *

"Something's wrong here," started Takei when they reached the base of the volcano.

"I agree," replied Saeko, sniffing the air. "It feels wrong somehow."

"Is everything all right?" Yugi inquired timidly. He was unnerved by the dragons' hesitation to proceed.

"Hm…everyone stay behind us," ordered Takei. "Rini, you take the rear. We don't want anything to happen to them."

The dragons nodded at his orders, with Saeko joining Takei's side and Rini taking up the rear. Everyone else gathered between them.

"Follow me," said Takei, and they gradually made their way around the base of the volcano. Everything was so still, so quiet. So deathly quiet.

"You shouldn't be here," growled someone in the distance. "You don't_ belong_ here."

"Ugh! What is that smell?" Duke exclaimed, covering his mouth and nose with his hand.

It was then that everyone else noticed the stench, too.

"Dragon Zombies!" Rini cried, her gaze looking past them toward the left. "They're everywhere!"

Somehow the Dragon Zombies had managed to surround them without their knowledge. And that, in Takei's mind, was rather unusual.

"Leave now!" demanded one of the Dragon Zombies, finally appearing. He looked to be the largest of them all.

The others shrank back, but Takei stood his ground. "We're just passing through and looking for a friend. We mean no harm."

The Dragon Zombie started laughing, causing the others to follow suit. "Since you want to pass through so badly," he taunted, "perhaps you should _fight _your way through." He started creeping closer to Takei then.

The white dragon quickly took in their surroundings, his eyes lingering momentarily on the approaching Dragon Zombie, but that's all it took for him to put two and two together.

"These dragons have been infected," Takei whispered lowly. "See the bite marks? It looks to have been made by a wolf. We can't fight them. They have no control over their actions."

"I can heal them," whispered Niaka as she ventured toward Takei's side. "If you can somehow restrain them, I can cure them of this disease."

"There are too many of them. We can't restrain them all," replied Takei.

"But I can," stated Bakura. His aura had somehow changed. Takei believed it was the Shadows' doing, but Bakura seemed to be in complete control. "Distract them. Get them all in one place. Once you've done that, I'll make sure they can't escape."

Nodding, Takei turned to face the others. "Saeko, you come with me. Rini, protect the others and get them out of our way."

With that, Takei and Saeko took to the air, circling around the Dragon Zombies. And since they couldn't fly, the Dragon Zombies had no choice but to watch.

But when the two white dragons started using their White Lightning attacks, the tainted dragons below started scrambling away from them. Takei and Saeko continued this strategy until all the Dragon Zombies were out in the open.

"Now!" roared Takei.

Suddenly, a dark ring appeared around the dragons. A Shadow Ring.

"I can't hold it for long," quipped Bakura, "so if you're going to cure them, you'll have to do it now!"

Niaka rushed forward, landing just before the Shadow Ring where the Dragon Zombies were falling over one another, trying to get out of the force field that had been placed around them by Bakura. The Dunames Dark Witch touched the Shadow Ring and began chanting something. Soon, the Shadow Ring changed, and it was now white.

A flash erupted from the ring, and as quickly as it had come, it disappeared. And the Dragon Zombies were no more. In their place stood what they had once been: Crawling Dragons.

Bakura and Niaka collapsed on their knees, utterly drained from the power needed to perform such a task.

"There had better be no more," growled Bakura.

All of a sudden, something black caught Takei's eye as he landed. Had it been Yoko? As he peered around the rocks to verify what he'd seen, something pounced on him while letting out a ferocious roar.

Takei whipped his tail at the attacker, spinning around so that he could fight it head on, but what he saw floored him.

"Yoko," he gasped. But it wasn't the Red-Eyes Black Dragon he knew from before. She had been infected, too. Where her scales had once been shiny black, they were now a dullish dark grey. Her red eyes, which had once been crisp and clear, were now glazed with wrath.

Yoko was no more. And it was all his fault.

She had been transformed; she was now Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon. Glaring at Takei, the infected dragon circled him as if she were stalking her prey.

"Don't you remember me, Yoko? It's Takei!" the Blue-Eyes White Dragon cried. He hoped with all his might that he'd be able to penetrate the sickness that had consumed her.

"Takei," she spat venomously. "Left me! Left me alone!" Yoko sounded pained, but it wasn't anything physical. This hatred, this detestation, came from one thing.

Abandonment.

"Can't you guys _do _something?" Marik hissed, looking toward Niaka and Bakura.

"Do you know how much fucking energy that took?" the former thief countered. "There's no way in hell I can pull something like that off again."

"Well, we need to do something…and quickly. I don't know how much longer Takei can keep Yoko stalled without hurting her," Seto observed uneasily. "Niaka, do you have the energy to cleanse Yoko?"

The Dunames Dark Witch looked ashamed. "I'm afraid not. Just cleansing all of those Crawling Dragons drained my healing powers completely."

_Shit! _Seto ranted inside his head. How the hell were they supposed to help Yoko?

* * *

Joey was fucked. Big time. He was trapped in a castle, in some sealed room, with someone who really believed he was in love with him and wanted him to have his baby. There was no way for the blond to escape. He had nothing. No one.

He jumped when he heard the door open. Turning his head, he realized that Taro had returned with a smile on his face. Yes. He was definitely fucked.

"I brought you something to eat," announced Taro, shutting the door behind him.

"I'm not hungry," Joey immediately replied.

Taro frowned. "Think of the baby we'll have. It will happen soon…unfortunately, whether you're willing or not. Would you deprive our little one of a healthy body to reside in because you want to hold a grudge against me?"

The blond didn't have an argument for that. He was completely torn. If it was going to happen anyway, whether he agreed to it or not, there would be a baby inside of him. And it would be part his. But also part Taro's. This was tearing him apart.

He looked at the food being offered him and took some bread from the plate before carefully nibbling on it. Starving himself wouldn't help his situation either. Because if he had a chance to run, he needed the energy to do so.

Pleased that Joey had taken his offering, Taro sat down on the bed next to him. "I'm terribly sorry for what happened to your mother. But I will try to help you find her if she still exists here. I never wanted to do anything to hurt you or anyone. It was all Mika."

Joey laughed bitterly. "Ya didn't have to listen to her."

Taro looked at him sadly. "At that time, I did. I've always had a hard time controlling my powers. I'm able to feel what others are feeling. Mika's anger and lust for power—even at such a young age—consumed my senses. I wasn't able to fight it. And when your mother sacrificed herself for you and Fudo started disappearing into that portal, it sucked nearly everything else in with it.

"Mika was drawn in after Fudo and your mother. It might not have looked like it at the time, but that's what happened. The portal started to draw you in, too. But I didn't want that to happen. You'd already lost your mother. I didn't want you to be lost as well.

"So I pushed you out of the way and I was consumed by the portal. It sent us to the Shadow Realm, where we have remained for all this time. But ever since I pushed you away, I've established a bond beyond my control with you. I've been able to feel everything you've felt. And I know you as well as you know yourself. I waited so long for you to come here, but you didn't. Now…you're here. With me."

Joey stared at him, confusion crossing his features. Everything Taro said _felt _true. Growing up, the blond had sometimes felt as if there was some other presence watching over him, but—

"I don't know if I believe ya." Why was he so confused?

Taro gave him a sad smile. "You're feeling confused because you have a mixture of emotions swirling through you about me. You sense that we share something, a bond of sorts. And you're thinking that maybe the voice inside your head wasn't a voice at all…but me.

"And it's all right not to trust me. I understand your feelings of trepidation. But that doesn't change the fact that I do love you."

Joey shook his head. "I don't love ya. I love—"

"Seto?" Taro finished for him. "Are you _really_ sure about that? Is it actually love you're feeling? Or is it the fact that the two of you have been through so much together that you've made a connection? You've empathized with one another. Nothing more. That isn't love."

"But he let me live with him. He let my brother and sister stay. Seto helped me, he protected me. How can you say we don't love each other?"

"Let me break it down for you. Your relationship with him in the beginning was filled with nothing but hatred. You two were at each other's throats and he hurt you repeatedly. But when he discovered your abusive home life and what had happened to you, things changed. They changed because he knew what it was like. He understood you.

"And perhaps as a way to make up for all his misdeeds, he allowed you and your siblings into his home. After that, in some way, his debt to you was repaid.

"Then you started learning about each other's pasts and you found comfort in the fact that there was someone who understood you perfectly. You established a bond. But it wasn't enough. You felt close but wanted to be closer. So you made love repeatedly in order to create a connection you didn't want to lose.

"But he hurt you again. Repeatedly. Yet you still went back to him. Am I wrong at all? It isn't love you feel for each other. You've just wanted someone to care for you so much that the first person who came along and gave you that attention seemed like the love of your life. He's not. You still don't know what love is."

Joey swallowed hard. Again, everything Taro said _felt _right. Had he really made a mistake choosing to be with Seto? Things _had _happened pretty fast. Too fast? Had he actually undertaken all the positive things that appeared in his life too quickly?

"I know you're feeling doubtful on _both _accounts," continued Taro slowly. "But…never mind."

"But what?" inquired Joey.

Taro seemed to hesitate. "I swear to you that I truly love you, Joey. And I _can _prove it to you, but only if you let me."

The blond eyed him warily. "Prove it to me how? Because I am _not _gonna to do anythin' _physical_ with ya. Includin' makin' that baby. I'm pretty sure about that!" he snapped.

"No. Nothing physical at all," he reassured him. "True relationships are founded on an emotional connection. The physical aspects come with time. There's no need to rush into _anything_. If you're willing to spend your whole life with someone special, you have your whole lives to experience those physical aspectd."

Again, that sort of hit home. Had the blond really made a mess of things with his life? "How…do ya plan on showin' me then?"

"Another aspect of my abilities is that I'm able to let others feel what I'm feeling. It's a recent discovery, mind you, but all you have to do is take my hand and you'll know how I feel about you. You'll see what true love is really like, Joey."

True love. Was he truly in love with Seto? Or was it just as Taro had said?

"Trust me," insisted Taro. "How do you know if you truly love Seto if he's the only one you've allowed to get close to you that way? What if there's someone better for you out there? Isn't it possible that you're just _used_ to him?"

And the seed of doubt had been planted.

"I don't know," Joey admitted. There were times when he'd rather have nothing to do with Seto; he'd hurt him enough times that it would warrant them breaking up. But he always returned to him. Was it because he felt the brunet was the only person he could fall back on?

"Just take my hand. If what you feel is anything like how you and Seto feel for one another, then you truly love him. There's no harm in that."

Swallowing hard, Joey placed his hand in Taro's. Suddenly, he was assaulted by a warmth so pure, it surely should have been false. But it wasn't.

The blond felt loved for in a way he hadn't thought possible. It was purely unadulterated love. He felt as if he was the only thing in the world Taro cared for—lived for—even more so than himself. It was just so much to take in.

It was when Taro pulled his hand away that he noticed he was crying. Joey didn't understand it at first. It wasn't like they were sad tears; they were happy ones. The blond was…happy.

Taro lowered his head before raising his eyes to Joey's. "Do you see now?"

"Yes." He did. He really did. And it seemed as if it was the first time he'd ever looked into Taro's eyes. They looked lost, doubtful, hesitant, but love was always at the surface. And Joey _hated_ that his heart went out to him.

"I'll leave you to your thoughts," stated Taro unsurely. As he rose from the bed, he quickly took Joey's hand and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze before leaving.

As soon as Taro left, Joey felt alone…and cold. It was as if his reason for living had been ripped from him. It hurt him to admit that he wanted Taro to come back.

But what about Seto?

The blond lay back down on the bed and clutched the pillow that was on it to his chest. He loved Seto, didn't he? He should.

But now, he wasn't sure that he did. It wasn't like he hated him or anything. He just didn't feel for him like Taro did for him. That's how he was supposed to feel about someone, right?

If Joey didn't know any better, he'd have said he'd just fallen out of love. But that couldn't be true, could it?

* * *

Plague Wolf halted in his tracks. He felt something. It was as if someone was calling him. But who?

Curious, he retraced his steps and wandered back to where he'd poisoned the dragons. When he arrived, however, he noticed that some humans, and perhaps their soul-bounds, were facing off against the Red-Eyes Black Dragon he'd infected.

This was not good. Juza—or worse, Mika—would kill him for sure. Somehow they'd managed to defeat his Dragon Zombies. Oh, what would Juza do to him once he found out?

Ducking behind a boulder, Plague Wolf watched them. The Dragon Zombies were _nothing _compared to the Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon. So he would watch and wait. And if they somehow managed to defeat her, too, well, he'd just take matters into his own paws.

"Yoko!" he heard the male Blue-Eyes White Dragon roar. "You must listen to me! I am here to help you!"

She lashed her tail at him in response, making Plague Wolf smirk inwardly. Since they were all too distracted by the little feud between the dragons, it would give him the opportunity he needed to do a little moredamage. He'd always wanted to take a bite out of a human.

Creeping out from behind the boulder, he stalked the human who was closest to him. Plague Wolf got a weird vibe from this one. He had white hair and a very rigid stance. Shadow Powers emanated from him like an aura. This one was powerful.

Plague Wolf crouched, making ready to pounce when—

"Bakura! Look out!" someone warned.

The one he'd been stalking—Bakura—turned just as he launched himself from the ground. In a single leap, Plague Wolf tackled Bakura to the ground.

But then a weird feeling washed over him as he stared into the deep brown eyes of the one below him. He'd never felt like this before. What was that burning sensation? Was he—no! He couldn't be Bakura's soul-bound, could he?

"Master?" Plague Wolf whimpered before passing out on top of the former thief.

Bakura stared at the decaying wolf that had decided to collapse on top of him in a dead heap. Mind you, the smelly beast was still breathing, but he weighed a ton! When he was just about to shove the creature off, he felt his arm burn. He knew what that was.

"Fuck!" the former thief hissed when the head of the wolf appeared on his arm. Why'd he get stuck with some putrid animal as his soul-bound?

Lost in his thoughts, Bakura didn't notice what was happening until Ryou screamed.

"Bakura!" his lover shouted, pointing at the decrepit creature in his lap.

Turning his gaze back to the wolf, he realized that it was starting to glow. "Shit!"

As he scrambled away, Plague Wolf's form began to change. And when the transformation was complete, he was no longer the rotten corpse he'd once been. Instead, his fur had come back entirely and was now pure white, with pieces of armor on his body covered in gold symbols. Kneeling in front of him, Bakura stroked the wolf's head, causing him to open his eyes.

"Master," the wolf said, panting and wagging his tail as he nuzzled the former thief's hand. "I am no longer Plague Wolf! I'm normal again! My name is Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter!"

"Ryko," Bakura repeated. "So, you're my soul-bound?"

"Yes," the wolf exclaimed, but then a strange look crossed his face. "But I have done something very wrong," he said, his eyes focusing themselves on where Takei had cornered Yoko. "I must fix it."

Without any further explanation, Ryko darted toward the dragons and between Takei's legs, startling him. But it was enough for the wolf to latch his mouth onto Yoko's tail. He bit down with all his might, causing the Red-Eyes Dragon Zombie to scream.

Yoko swung her tail back and forth viciously, trying to detach Ryko from her. With one particularly ferocious swipe, she flung the wolf from her and he hit the ground. Stumbling a bit, Yoko's visions swam and she collapsed.

"Yoko!" Takei cried, racing to her side. He nuzzled her neck in an attempt to wake her, but something else happened instead; Yoko started turning back to normal.

Bakura, understanding that Ryko had reversed the effects of the infection somehow, came to his soul-bound's side and drew his head into his lap. He stroked him somewhat affectionately until he opened his eyes again, whimpering.

"Did it work?" Ryko asked. He sounded tired.

"Yes. It worked," Bakura assured him. "You're the one who infected the dragons, am I right?"

The white wolf looked ashamed. He nodded and whimpered again. "I was tainted by my Master. He found me as a pup and bit me; he infected me. Then he brought me to the castle where I had to serve him and the mistress."

Seto's head shot up when he heard Ryko say that. "Castle? You mean Orichalcum Castle?"

"That is the place. My Master—Juza—he forced me to come infect the dragons. Mistress Mika wished it, not Master Taro. You must understand that Master Taro is quite different than his sister. Compared to her, he is an angel. And he would never let anything happen to the blond one."

"Blond one? You mean Joey?" Yugi interceded.

"Yes."

"So he's all right?" asked Seto.

"As far as I know, he is. Master Taro took him away from Mistress Mika and hid him away in the castle."

"Can you take us there?" asked Bakura.

Ryko nodded. "There are portals leading into the castle as well as around it. But it will be best to go through one that will take us outside. I know of a secret passage that can lead us inside, but…"

"But what?" inquired Seto.

"Master Juza will know I've turned. He can detect me."

"Then we'll just have to play our cards rights," smirked Bakura. "We're going to have you double-cross us."

Ryko cocked his head to the side very much like a curious little puppy. "Double-cross you? What does that mean?"

Suddenly, the ground rumbled beneath them as smoke burst forth from the volcano.

"I'll explain that later! Now, we have to get out of here!" exclaimed Bakura.

"Ryko," started Takei, finally being able to awaken Yoko. "You said you knew of the portals. Is there one anywhere near here which will take us to Stardust Cave?"

"Um, um, yes!" the white wolf replied, nodding. "Follow me! Quickly!" Racing in the direction the others deemed as the path the lava would take once the volcano erupted, they bolted like lightning after him.

Once Ryko stopped running, he turned to them. "Here! Here! It's over here!" he shouted, jumping around in circles in front of a boulder.

"Are you sure? Cuz that just looks like some big rock to me," stated Tristan.

"I'm sure! This is the place!" A thunderous boom sounded and the ground shook again. The volcano was going to erupt. "Just run through the boulder! Trust me!"

"Run through a—are you _insane_?" roared Marik.

"We don't have time for this," snapped Takei. He grabbed as many of the humans as he could and practically flung them through the portal. "Does anyone else have any reason as to why they can't go through a boulder?" The others took his threat seriously, zipping through the portal without so much as a second's hesitation.

As soon as they all made it through, the volcano erupted furiously, destroying everything in its path.

Including the portal.

* * *

Seto put a hand to his aching head and sat up with a groan. He let his eyes adjust to the dim lighting, but too many different colors seemed to flash before him. When his vision finally cleared, he realized that there were thousands of crystals—all in different colors—surrounding him. Where the hell was he?

"This is Stardust Cave," Takei said, as if answering the question the others already had in their minds.

"And _why _are we here?" inquired Yami.

"I'm going to teach you how to duel and ensure that all of you have your soul-bounds before we proceed to Orichalcum Castle," the white dragon explained.

"How are we going to do that?" Yugi piped in.

"With summoning crystals." Takei wandered over to a wall of the cave that had a series of blue crystals growing from it. Smacking his tail against the wall, he dislodged them. "Anyone who has not found their soul-bound, grab a crystal."

Duke, Seto, Tristan, and Bakura stepped off to the side. Since they already had soul-bounds, there was no need for them to take one.

"Now everyone proceed outside. We don't know how big some of yours might be and seeing as how we already have such a large party, we don't want to bring this place down," stated Takei.

They followed him out of the cave and noticed that they were standing on a sandy beach near what looked like an ocean. In any other situation, this view would have been beautiful.

"I want everyone to hold their crystals and open their hearts. Feel a warmth flowing through you and call out to your soul-bound. They will appear," he continued. "And Duke, I suggest that you bring Seiyaryu here immediately."

Duke quickly swiped the mark on his arm, knowing that his soul-bound would arrive as quickly as she could.

And soon, the crystals the others had been holding disappeared, a blue ring appearing before them in their places. The summoning had begun, and before they knew it, their soul-bounds were arriving.

Duke already had Seiyaryu, and she was on her way. Seto's was Takei, Tristan's was Gokipon, and Bakura's was obviously Ryko. But it was what the others had summoned that was _really _interesting.

Malik's ended up being Sangan, while Marik's turned out to be Garnecia Elefantis. Ryou, on the other hand, obtained Ryu Kokki. Yugi's turned out to be Kuriboh and Yami's was Berfomet.

"Why do I get the stupid elephant looking one?" grumbled Marik, thinking that he was the only one who didn't get a _cool _soul-bound. Oh, well. At least it was a step up from some stupid little bug and a pink dragon.

Suddenly, Marik found himself being picked up by Garnecia as he stared at him.

"I-I was just kidding! Really! You're a great soul-bound!" The sarcasm wasn't lost on the giant creature and he dropped Marik back onto the ground. This just made everyone else squabble with their soul-bounds as well.

Takei rolled his eyes. They didn't have time for this. He needed to teach them how to duel and he had to do it quickly.

"Everyone needs to listen to me. Put your differences aside. There is a lot more at stake here than you realize. Do you want to help your friend or not?" snapped the regal dragon. The others fell into silence, looking ashamed by their behavior. "Much better."

"You said you were going to teach us how to duel," started Seto. "What do you mean by that exactly?"

"Remember those crystals you saw back in the cave?" began Takei.

"Yes. There were all sorts of colors," replied Ryou.

"Each crystal has a different power and they are only used for dueling. Your soul-bound will be the monster you duel with. And you must support them with varying crystals to empower them.

"A duel is initiated when both opponents set a white crystal on the ground before their feet. Your soul-bound will then be summoned to the field, as you will. During the course of the duel, whoever's crystal turns black, loses. This occurs through attacks both dealt and received. You are only allowed to use a total of ten crystals during a duel, so your choices must be wise.

"You already know that the blue crystals brought your soul-bounds to you, but in a duel, they can also summon other monsters to the field. However, you must know which monster it is you wish to summon before you play your crystal, otherwise a random one will appear on the field. Furthermore, monsters cannot be destroyed; the strategies you use in terms of the crystals you select determine the outcome of the duel.

"Green crystals will give magic boosts to your monsters, and the abilities they gain are dependent on what they are. Red crystals set traps against your opponent that will be detrimental to them; it can be something like eliminating a certain colored crystal or wiping out their monster's abilities. These are very dangerous.

"Purple crystals are used to fuse monsters to gain stronger ones. But remember, in order to fuse monsters, you'll have to summon them using blue crystals. This is a very risky strategy and I do not suggest it unless absolutely necessary."

"How do we know what our monsters' abilities are?" asked Yami.

"That is not something I can share with you. You must speak to your own monsters during the duel to determine that," answered Takei. "You'll learn—and quickly—once you officially have to duel. Until then, I suggest you go back into the cave and gather whatever crystals you may need…and rest. We'll set out for Orichalcum Castle tomorrow."

"But—"

"No buts, Seto," interrupted the white dragon as he nuzzled the brunet's face. "It's been a long day. Everyone is tired. You're doing your mate no favors by exhausting yourself. Your body and mind need to be fresh and alert if you ever hope to get him back."

Takei watched as Seto was about to argue with him, but thought better of it. He watched him wander into the cave with the rest of his friends. Moving from his spot in front of the cave, he wandered over to where Yoko was lying down. She looked to be asleep, but he knew better.

"Yoko," he whispered, nudging her muzzle gently. "May I speak with you please?"

The black dragon opened her eyes and stared at him warily. Raising her head, she nodded, and averted her gaze to the ground. "I'm sorry," Yoko whispered.

This took Takei by surprise. "Sorry for what?"

"I attacked you," she replied slowly. "I hurt you and I know you'll never be able to forgive me, but know that I am terribly sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Yoko. It is I who should be apologizing to you. I was upset by the death of my friend when you appeared. He was like a brother to me. I wanted nothing to do with you at the time, so I left you at the volcano with no intention of coming back. But then I realized what I did was wrong, and it took a _human_ to show me that. And when we arrived there and I saw what had happened to you, I felt as if my heart had torn in two."

"Takei—"

"Let me finish. I was afraid that I had lost you for good when I saw that you had been infected. And I probably won't ever stop blaming myself for what happened. But I don't plan on losing you again. I know that you probably won't want me after what I've done to you, but I would like it if you would be my mate."

When Yoko didn't respond, Takei bowed his head, pain filling his heart. He should have known that she'd reject him. What had he been hoping for? No one would endure such treatment and then forgive—

Takei jolted backward when he felt something hot and wet run up his neck…accompanied by a giggle.

"I would like nothing more than to be your mate, Takei," sighed Yoko. "It's what I've always dreamed of and we'll make some darling kits, too," she cooed delightedly, which only made the male dragon freak.

"Kits? But we…we…we're on a mission right now! We can't think about kits!" Takei stammered at the feral looking female.

"But I _want _you to start thinking about kits," Yoko purred seductively. "Especially _what _we're going to have to do in order to get them." She ran her tongue up his neck again, making Takei topple over. This gave Yoko the opportunity she needed to pounce on him.

"Yoko—"

"Get a cave," announced Seiyaryu as she landed on the beach. "We don't want you two traumatizing everyone because Takei has no self-control."

"I have plenty of self-control!" spat the white dragon.

"Oh, really? Is that why you're letting her mount you?" the pink dragon retorted.

"Exact—what? Y-Yoko!"

* * *

**End Chapter**


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